Amber on a Silver Chain
by Kyuuketsuki-san
Summary: The Great Lord Sesshoumaru loses not only his control, but a small, warm hearted companion who had a place in his heart. It's hard to accept that there's no turning back...now, all that's left is just Amber on a Silver Chain. SessXOC
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! It's Kyuuketsuki-san again and her trusty vampire bats. I think I may have been partially exposed to sunlight because here is yet another story about dear Sesshy-chan! Not all of it is peaches and cream though so let that be a warning of content in future chapters. Okay, this is going to be a SesshoumaruOC pairing and I'm telling you this in advance to give you time to grimace and press the 'back' button on your browser to look for SessKag, SessKagura or Sesswhatever pairings and completely forget about this one. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of SessKagura pairings (for proof of that please take a look at my poems in 'Stirrings in the Wind'), but sometimes I feel the need to write about something completely different.

As it says in the summary, 'Amber on a Silver Chain' is about Sesshoumaru getting sealed as punishment for something he did and I know that there are plenty of stories out there and especially floating around this site that talk about the same kind of thing. This is not one of those stories. Okay well maybe in some aspects, but I will try my very hardest not to make it as repetitive. Believe me, I hate those types of fanfictions where Sesshoumaru mistreats a human who turns out to be a witch or priestess and he gets put under a spell or sealed up somewhere and then later Kagome or someone else breaks the spell and blah blah blah and they live happily ever after with lots of babies. NO. Many of these stories, if well written, can be quite interesting but as for the rest of them, stories like these are BORING. No offence to those who have written these types of fanfics here and are raring up to send me a nice juicy flamer, but I'm just expressing an opinion here and in no way am I obligating you to pay attention to it.

Well, I sure rambled on and on, I wonder if there's any story space left in here. Okay then, to those few who have stayed to read my humble little story (thank you both) I hope you'll enjoy it and please send me any comments you might have. Constructive criticism is also welcome. Thanks!

**Disclaimer: **I'd be sure to start World War three if I were to claim ownership of Inuyasha. So I'll say, no I don't. (Grins) That'll be interesting though, Rumiko Takahashi and Manga writers versus Kyuuketsuki-san and all of the Inuyasha fans, (chuckles and shakes head) we would soooo win.

_**Amber on a Silver Chain**_

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"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Hm?"

"Where are we going?" asked the adorable human child skipping alongside him.

The toad-like imp, Jaken, spluttered with shock. "Insolent child! The Great Lord Sesshoumaru has better things to do than answer your constant questioning!"

Rin pouted and slowed her skip to a walk. "I only wanted to know!" she said, but Jaken's reprimand had calmed her curiosity and had awoken guilt from pestering the demon lord continuously. But she couldn't let Jaken know that. She glanced at her guardian.

"Anyways, Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't have to answer if he doesn't want to." She told Jaken, sticking out her little pink tongue at him. Jaken gasped in outrage and began to chase after her, waving his Nintoujo around.

"How dare you, stupid human! Come back here!" screeched the little imp as he followed her around. Even the giant, two-headed steed Aun groaned as he witnessed his two companions zoom past him. On any other occasion Sesshoumaru would have found this scene amusing but he was troubled with more grievous matters. He had noticed Naraku's foul scent on the wind and though it was rather faint, it still meant that caution was to be had. Sesshoumaru was well aware of the fact that Naraku had indeed grown stronger over the passing months and that was due to the nearly completed Shikon no Tama that he held in his possession. Though Sesshoumaru was a very powerful and not to mention formidable warlord, that didn't mean he could afford to underestimate Naraku, because the last time he had, Rin had been kidnapped by one of the many incarnations Naraku controlled and she had nearly been killed. Sesshoumaru would have gladly slain the little demon slayer boy, had it not been for the intervention of his meddling half brother Inuyasha and his wench.

"Ha, ha! You can't catch me!" laughed Rin, snatching Sesshoumaru away from his thoughts. Deciding that enough was enough, Sesshoumaru put a stop to the fun.

"Rin."

Rin froze in her tracks, making Jaken crash into her back and topple over into the grass.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, beaming her bright smile. Sesshoumaru slowed his pace to a stop and turned to look at her.

"No more games for now." He said, and he turned to begin to walk on. Smiling, Rin nodded more to herself than to him and saluted his back. "Hai!" She cried happily and gazing down at Jaken, who was grumbling and groaning in his position on the ground, she grabbed his small arm and pulled him up, ignoring his screeches.

"Let go of me human!"

"Iie! Come on Jaken-sama!" she laughed and dragged him along as she resumed her skipping at her guardian's side.

* * *

Hidden deep within the vast walls of his palace, Naraku sat assessing the implementation of his new plan in one dark corner of his chambers. This plan had consisted of months and months of careful preparation…completely secret preparation. Only Kanna knew of it. She was the most trusted, most loyal of all his incarnations and only she formed part of this plan that would most certainly succeed, if it was carried out correctly.

Naraku was going to destroy Sesshoumaru.

Ever since the demon lord discovered his true intent shortly after making use of the human arm he was provided with, Naraku knew that Sesshoumaru was going to be a problem. Matters got worse when he decided to send one of his more rebellious incarnations to kidnap the small human companion that had joined Sesshoumaru in his travels. He was well aware of the alliance Kagura had formed with the demon lord, but Naraku already had plans for her…future. She was the least of his worries. Kidnapping the human girl was not one of his best strategies in trapping Sesshoumaru but it _had_ worked…up to a point. Naraku had almost succeeded in absorbing the demon lord along with his tremendous power but it failed the moment Inuyasha's wind scar ripped through the limbs keeping Sesshoumaru captive. And that was another thing. He had discovered from a very reliable source that the combined forces of both inu brothers were something very powerful and very effective. This was not to be taken lightly, especially when he himself was liable to be at the receiving end of their swords.

Inuyasha could be easily dealt with. He was an untamed mongrel with a soft spot for beautiful priestesses, and would pose no threat at all. But his older brother…well at least Naraku now had the solution in his hands. Literally.

He gazed at the small leather pouch that sat in the palm of his right hand. It contained a lethal powder made of ingredients not easy to get hold of. When he was attempting to absorb Sesshoumaru all those months back, he had extracted, unnoticed by the dog demon, a portion of his blood, just in case the absorption didn't work. Naraku was glad that he had thought of it because now, he had the means to permanently drag Sesshoumaru down from his throne and bury him into the ground. Six feet under, to be precise.

On the full moons of every month he had added and mixed each ingredient and the foul substance had boiled and re-boiled for each of the thirty day periods until it evaporated, leaving deep, blood red crystals clinging to the sides of the boiling pot. These crystals had then been crushed into a fine powder that when inhaled by the blood donor, would cause them to lose control of their minds completely. This permanent insanity would drive them to commit unspeakable acts and make them desire their own deaths, a wish that would be fulfilled by their own hands. Naraku chuckled evilly at this thought. In the end, the Great Sesshoumaru would not be slain by a terrible adversary, but would take his own life to end the madness that will have wrought havoc on his mind with a simple sprinkle of powder.

Naraku had been getting rather impatient for the day to come when he would finally be able to eradicate the most powerful of the inu brothers from the face of the earth- After that, the rest was simple, he would eventually destroy Inuyasha and his band of followers and be free to rule over the darkness with the Shikon no Tama sitting comfortably in his palm.

A flash of white caught his gaze and he glanced up, his eyes locking with the vacant, black ones of his most trustworthy servant, Kanna. Naraku smiled.

"Ah, Kanna…Have you come to show me something?"

Kanna stepped forward, holding her mirror up so that he could see what images it contained. Naraku watched as Sesshoumaru stopped to let his little companion rest and had the small toad demon set up camp for the night. Sesshoumaru sat himself down, leaning his back against the trunk of a large tree, stretching one leg out in front him and draping his arm over the knee of the other. Naraku noted how the demon lord's gaze particularly softened as he observed the human child bounce around the campfire, playing games with the irritable toad.

Naraku gave a small smirk. Destroying Sesshoumaru was going to be more fun than he thought. Any demon that inhaled the lethal powder would automatically be driven to exterminate anything that posed a threat, and that's where insanity kicked in. Since they would be stuck in combat mode, their minds would warp their own senses, making them believe that anything around them was potentially dangerous to their wellbeing. Naraku was almost certain that after slaying his little child companion, Sesshoumaru would most definitely lose his mind. Permanently.

"Thank you Kanna. Make certain the wasps are prepared." He told her and with a curt nod of his head, he dismissed her. She gave him a small bow and retreated from the room.

Naraku began to reflect on how his plan was to be set up. He knew exactly of Sesshoumaru's whereabouts, his poisonous insects had been watching the demon lord on his orders for a while now. Naraku wasn't completely sure that the demon had any knowledge of this but there had been no cause for concern so far.

Tomorrow…tomorrow was the perfect day for everything to take place. Kanna was having the insects' legs and wings covered in a solution of the powder and a little water that had formed a paste and would make the application to the wasps' bodies a little easier. Tomorrow Naraku would send them to Sesshoumaru and his group of companions and the heat of the day plus the constant breeze would help dry the water, leaving only the powder which would inevitably shower down upon the dog demon. Sesshoumaru was obviously going to discover what was happening but by that time it would be too late and the powder would have already taken effect.

Naraku let out a deep, rich chuckle that sent chilly echoes through the halls of his palace.

He just couldn't wait.

* * *

Lord Sesshoumaru was up long before his companions, beginning the day by awakening his vassal Jaken throwing a stone at his sleeping head. Jaken yelped with pain and looked around to see who had hit him and as he glanced upon his master he threw himself to the ground in a pathetically respectful bow.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Forgive me for over sleeping, I did not know-"

"We are leaving." Interrupted Sesshoumaru in his monotone. "Awaken Rin."

Jaken looked up and then lowered his head further down to the ground. "Hai! Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru turned and began to leave, Aun getting up slowly and following behind. Jaken got to his feet quickly and rushed to the small girl tucked up against the trunk of a tree and tried to rouse her.

After a few moments they were all walking at an even pace through the thick forest, the sun was only just beginning to rise and apart from the sound of footsteps, the melodious singing of the morning birds rung through the treetops. It was a morning that seemed worthy of a perfect day.

Rin hummed to herself as she kept close to her lord's side. She never told anyone this, not even Jaken, but she was scared of the forest, the trees looked so much like people as they pointed their gnarled finger-like branches at her and the sun was blocked out by the canopy of treetops, leaving only a dim light which Rin had difficulty seeing through . She knew she had nothing to worry about, since Sesshoumaru was with her, protecting her. But when he left to see to important matters, which was often, not even Aun's or Jaken's presence was enough for her to feel really comforted and secure.

Humming, she felt, was the best way to forget her fears and keep herself entertained at the same time, even though it irritated Jaken to no end, which was also entertainment in itself. She stopped humming when Jaken's complaints became too much, and instead, she contented herself with looking up at her lord.

His facial expression, normally void of emotion, held a slight frown as he walked along and it was relatively to do with the fact that he had caught just the tiniest whiff of Naraku on the breeze. It was very small, but it was there, and it had Sesshoumaru wondering what the demon was up to and where he could be hiding. The evil hanyou certainly had the knack for keeping his secrets well guarded and Sesshoumaru's energy spiked at the thought of Naraku laughing at his expense, sitting comfortably in his chambers while the demon lord travelled round and round in circles in a wild goose chase. Sesshoumaru wanted to find out what exactly Naraku was planning.

If only he knew what was in store.

* * *

A/N: This is just the start, and I want you people to comment on whether you see any potential in it or not so I know if I should continue or just forget about it. Okay, I'll probably write chapter one soon any way and for you guys who are interesting the title will be 'Chapter 1: Slaughter of the Innocents'. Hope you review! 


	2. Slaughter of the Innocents

Hey people! I'm going to continue with this next chapter, even though I didn't get as many responses as I would have liked. Well, this chapter is going to have just a little bit of blood in it, it's not that gory but still, I'm warning those who have reeeeeeeeeeeeeally faint hearts. Thank you **Viperthe strange**, **Project Dark Overlord**, **Thoughts13** for your reviews; I'll always appreciate those first responses that motivate me into continuing a story.

**Disclaimer:** I possess but the displeasure of knowing that I do not own Inuyasha. Plus I invented my own character! His name is Fish, say hello Fish! Ah, who am I kidding?

**_Chapter 1:_ _Slaughter of the Innocents_**

* * *

The Sesshoumaru-tachi continued to march steadily through the forest, the leader constantly on the alert for any unusual signs that may indicate danger. After many hours of walking through trees and thick undergrowth, the small group reached a clearing and that was where they decided to rest.

Rin, instead of following her Lord's example and sitting down, she ran around laughing her happy little laugh, sweeping up flower after flower. Jaken chased her in a futile attempt of calming her down so as not to anger lord Sesshoumaru but Rin just skipped on, plucking daisies and bluebells from in between the blades of green grass.

Sesshoumaru watched them, the soft breeze lifting up strands of silvery hair and blowing them around his face. He heard Aun settle down on the ground not far from him and begin to sniff at the clumps of flowers around his huge frame, wondering whether they were good to eat or not. Sesshoumaru's gaze returned to Rin's bouncing form. He hated to admit this, but the child held a definite place in his heart, he couldn't explain it but it was like she knew him and who he was on the inside despite what he thought was an impenetrable barrier that he had constructed around himself. He had no idea when it had happened but Rin had chipped a tiny hole in that wall and had let herself in, turning things upside down and back to front, making the Great Lord Sesshoumaru, a ruthless warrior, see that kindness and generosity were not weakness but strength and ultimately power. She was a living embodiment of joy and though Sesshoumaru often acted hard with her she knew that it was just his way of letting her know he looked out for her.

Jaken shrieked as he tripped over his Nintoujo and fell flat on his face. Rin giggled and danced to his side, placing her bunch of flowers on the ground and moving to his side in order to aid him. Jaken yelled and waved his little arms around, refusing her help but Rin firmly took a hold of one hand and pulled him to his feet, handing him his trusty staff afterwards.

"Silly girl! I am perfectly capable of getting up myself!" He squawked indignantly. Rin smiled brightly at him and planted a little kiss on his head.

"Now you're all better Jaken-sama!"

Jaken spluttered and protested, trying to hide the fact that a blush had crept its way onto his green cheeks, but he stopped trying to chase after Rin anyway. Rin stooped down to pick up her flowers.

Sesshoumaru was still thinking deeply about how to handle the situation with Naraku when Rin approached him with her hands behind her back, apparently trying to hide the flowers she had just picked. Sesshoumaru fought back a smirk and decided to humour the child.

"What is it Rin."

"Guess what I've got for you, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The flowers were meant for him? That was so very like Rin.

"Tell me."

"Look!" She laughed and she waved the bunch of multicoloured flowers around before offering them to Sesshoumaru. He didn't receive them but he nodded at Rin to show that he had accepted her small gift. Rin's face lit up with a bright smile and she skipped over to Aun and tied the flowers to his mane of hair. Aun snorted and then nuzzled Rin's hair, inciting a bout of giggles from the small girl.

Sesshoumaru gracefully stood and began to make his way across the clearing without a word. Jaken was sniffing at a wildflower when he noticed his lord was leaving. He gasped and called to Rin and Aun before tripping over in his own haste to follow.

Before taking another step Sesshoumaru knew something was wrong. There was an element in the breeze, telling him to gather up and leave. But Sesshoumaru would never leave, he was not a coward. He continued with his march across the clearing, his senses heightened to another level and his eyes everywhere, searching for anything out of place. He refused to feel uneasy, and he refrained from showing the smallest hint of preoccupation. Jaken probably didn't perceive anything out of the ordinary yet but since Sesshoumaru was by far a higher class demon it was only natural that he sense things that lower demons couldn't.

Sesshoumaru tried to shake off the growing ominous feeling as he walked but it clung to him like a wet blanket. Sesshoumaru scoffed silently. He, the Lord of the Western Lands, was feeling _threatened?_ He considered that foolish. Chances were, whatever it was would pass soon and he could proceed with his search for Naraku.

Then he heard it. On the wind. A _buzzing_ sound. He paused in mid-step and glanced up, a frown forming on his face. He felt a bump on the back of his leg and didn't feel the need to look down, since he already knew that Jaken had not been paying attention and had walked right into his leg. Jaken began immediately blurting out apologies but Sesshoumaru lifted up his only arm to silence him.

Rin sidled up to Jaken. "Jaken-sama, what's wrong?" She whispered. Jaken shushed her and watched his master closely.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the sound that was apparently getting closer. Yes, it was definitely the buzz of some type of insect.

_Naraku's poison insects, perhaps?_ Sesshoumaru thought and he listened for them again. The sound was coming from the part of the forest he himself had come out of before resting in the clearing. Sesshoumaru turned his head to observe the area of sky above the treetops and sure enough, with his excellent sight, he distinguished four black, moving dots against the blue. Were they sweeping the area for shards? Or were they already delivering one of the powerful fragments to their master? Whatever their purpose, Sesshoumaru considered it a better option to follow them. Maybe they would eventually lead him to Naraku.

He could hear Rin and Jaken whispering to each other behind him but he took no notice. He decided to wait for the insects to approach.

Jaken wasn't sure why his master had stopped or what he was listening out for but it all became clear to him when he spotted Naraku's Saimyoushou flying over the treetops of the forest. He consciously moved closer to Rin and gripped his Nintoujo tighter. He was starting to feel a little uneasy, the air around them was filled with a threat and Jaken would protect Rin at all costs, otherwise he would have to face the wrath of Lord Sesshoumaru. And that was scary.

The insects were almost above Sesshoumaru, and he continued to watch and wait. A peculiar scent hit his nose, he couldn't put his finger on it but he was almost certain it smelt of blood. Who's blood, he couldn't tell since many different scents were mixed with it forming a strangely pungent and slightly overpowering smell.

He shook his head lightly as he felt the scent penetrate his senses. He glanced up and was shocked to see a fine powdery substance float down from the insects' bodies, leaving a slight dusty, red trail. He suddenly felt the urge to sneeze but he held it in.

Jaken coughed loudly. "Yeugh! What is this stuff?" he spluttered. Rin was trying to shake it out of her hair. Neither of them noticed what effect the powder was having on their master.

Sesshoumaru attempted to block out the smell by covering his mouth and nose with his right sleeve but it still managed to infiltrate the cloth. He refused to surrender, but he didn't have a clue as to what was actually happening to him. All he knew was that he was feeling very threatened…and very thirsty. He wanted blood…he _needed_ blood. He started to cough and he bent over to try and catch his breath but all he did was inhale more of that strong sharp scent that was starting to make his head spin. Shaking his head seemed to aggravate the sensation further and he was beginning to feel now the pulling of his illogical side, the part of him that was always prone to insanity, his animal half, his inner demon.

The rational Sesshoumaru was losing his grasp on reality, he was losing the battle. The smell was too overpowering and the wilder, instinctual Sesshoumaru liked it and fought harder to have more. Sesshoumaru felt a ripping pain in the stump of his left arm and he fell to his knees, breathing hard. Jaken and Rin gasped, even Aun seemed worried when he saw his master fall.

Sesshoumaru grabbed at his left stump and moving his right hand downwards he discovered that he actually had a left arm. The irrational Sesshoumaru couldn't help laughing malevolently, it seemed that to obtain blood, it was necessary the use of _both_ his arms to gain results. The loss of his left arm had been an inconvenience for a while but he had grown accustomed to using only his right, but now that his left arm had been restored…more possibilities came with it. The more logical Sesshoumaru came to realize that the evil laugh was coming out of his own mouth and that was when he chose to disappear, letting the demonic Lord loose. Before vanishing completely, the sensible Sesshoumaru struggled to at least save his followers from the wrath that he would inevitably bring upon them. He didn't want that to happen, his pride wouldn't allow it to happen but his inner demon would _make_ it happen, if they didn't escape soon.

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru called hoarsely, in his bent, kneeling position. Jaken approached his lord cautiously. He was very worried, this type of thing had never happened before, he had no idea what magic it was but his master needed attention and fast. Rin was close behind, whimpering. Of course, she had never seen Sesshoumaru in this state and it was traumatizing for a girl who thought that her guardian was invincible.

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru repeated, breathing heavily.

"H-hai?"

Sesshoumaru hissed and bent lower, clutching his chest. A bead of sweat dripped from his chin as he fought to stay sane. He blinked his slowly transforming eyes from a deep crimson back to a blazing amber.

"Take…Rin…" he said through clenched teeth. "…And _go_."

Jaken looked at him in shock. "But My Lord! What about you?"

Sesshoumaru growled. "_Go!_"

Jaken jumped and turned to Rin. "Rin! You heard Sesshoumaru-sama! Let's go!" he screeched and began to pull her along. Rin shook herself free of his grip.

"Iie! We shouldn't leave Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried. Jaken argued, jumping up and down frantically.

All the while, Sesshoumaru was slowly going insane inside, his eyes were a burning crimson and the marks on his face were thicker and more intense. With both hands he held his head which was filling up with voices, all belonging to him, telling him to kill, to destroy, to eliminate and to murder. He wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

"Rin! We must leave _now_!" Screamed Jaken, noticing the terrifying changes in his master. Rin just shook her head and moved closer to Sesshoumaru's kneeling form, and rooting to the spot firmly she shoved her chin into the air.

"Sesshoumaru-sama would never leave us!"

Jaken was almost ready to strangle her for her disobedience but he decided it was a waste of time. He could recognize that she was right but he refused to go against his Lord's orders. He turned to the giant two headed dragon.

"Aun! Come!"

But Aun shook both his large heads and moved to join Rin. Jaken fell to the ground in shock.

"Am I surrounded by rebels?" he shrieked.

"No." Said Rin. Jaken wheeled jumped to his feet and looked at her. "Just Sesshoumaru-sama's trusty followers." She finished, beaming her bright, though slightly sad smile. Jaken nodded with understanding and waddled over to her side.

It was then that Sesshoumaru lost himself. With an inhumane howl he got to his feet and hearing nothing, sensing nothing but the unquenchable thirst for blood, he slashed through the first thing that would provide some for him. Aun.

Jaken yelled when the steed fell, split into bloody halves and twitching once before lying still.

Sesshoumaru ignored the cries coming from his faithful vassal, instead with a cold laugh he ran his claws with cruel efficiency through the little demon that had served him for centuries. Jaken.

Panting and covered in splashes of the thick, dark red liquid Sesshoumaru turned to the only living form left. She would definitely be a worthy kill. The insane half of Sesshoumaru was going to enjoy this, murdering the innocent companion that had a place in the rational Sesshoumaru's heart. And maybe then the thirst would cease to exist.

Rin trembled on the spot, but refused to run. She would never leave her master, her guardian, her protector. She knew she was living only because the tenseiga had revived her, if it had not, she would be floating around in the Other World. She was glad in some way, of having met Sesshoumaru and of having travelled with him. She was so pure and so selfless that she cared not that her guardian was going to kill her. In the end he had brought her to life, and in her way of thinking that gave him the right to take her away from the land of the living if he so wished. She watched Sesshoumaru turn to her slowly, his garments covered with gore, raising his bloody claws above her head.

A tear trickled from the corner of her eye. If only it hadn't been so.

A logical Sesshoumaru watched as his claws flexed. He had seen everything and he had fought against it happening but it was useless, he was being forced to gaze at the blood shed and be unable to control his own body. He would surely finish going insane. He commanded Rin to escape but his voice was lost inside his head, mingling with the orders of death and execution that echoed around. He refused to give up; he wanted Rin to run, to leave, to scream for help, to move, to do…_something_.

But Rin wouldn't move. She wouldn't scream. She just stood there. Waiting, for the final blow.

The demonic Sesshoumaru, the one about to commit the unthinkable, hesitated. He _hesitated_. He, a ruthless, bloodthirsty animal was reconsidering what he was sure he would do. Rin closed her eyes.

Claws poised above her head, both sides of Sesshoumaru fought against each other. His arm began to shake. And then, one side of the lord lost.

With a loud snarl the claws were brought down mercilessly and the sweet little child fell victim to them, her blood spattering upon Sesshoumaru's haori. Rin. Her small body collapsed to the grass with a sickening thud and Sesshoumaru was left standing, shoulders heaving and crimson eyes staring at the motionless bodies on the ground. Their blood was seeping into the soil, their eyes glassy and unseeing; Rin's hair was out beneath her, moving in time with the breeze.

The demonic Sesshoumaru gave a strangled growl and grabbed the sides of his head. _No_. He thought with dread, _More, I need more_.

The thirst continued unquenched, his claws eager to slash. But after that last death, the logical Sesshoumaru had become stronger, much stronger and much angrier. How could he have let that happen to her? He began to struggle against the bindings of insanity, he began to shout louder, above the voices and he lashed out with a greater force than before. He felt the animal on the exterior weaken slightly and that motivated him. He would _not_ be held down any longer, he was Lord Sesshoumaru and nothing would conquer him, not even himself. Why had he gone to all the trouble hiding his emotions? Because they were a part of him he could control, or he thought he could, and that made him capable of overpowering himself, making him stronger and less vulnerable towards others in battle. He would not let some _beast_ take over.

He fought harder and harder, reeling the demon in and shutting him back inside. The crimson eyes slowly turned to gold, the intense markings faded to their normal proportions and tones and his fangs and claws gradually shrank to their usual sizes.

Taking in deep breaths Sesshoumaru, the _rational_ Lord Sesshoumaru returned. And he gazed upon the carnage he himself had mercilessly caused.

* * *

Naraku scowled and sat back. After witnessing the last turn of events he felt a little irked at the failure of his painstakingly prepared plan. He had always known, however that Sesshoumaru would find a way of overcoming the effect of the deadly powder. A powerful Taiyoukai like him was hard to triumph over, Sesshoumaru simply had too much energy and even standing metres away from him didn't hide the fact that his aura was a potent one. Naraku dismissed Kanna but just before she was out of hearing range he called to her.

"Kanna."

The childlike incarnation paused. "Yes master?"

"Go and inform Kagura and the others that we will be receiving visitors. Make sure they're prepared."

Kanna bowed and retreated.

Naraku stood up and his baboon pelt materialised around his body. He moved to the window and peered outside at the entrance to the palace.

He could sense Inuyasha and his group approaching, they still had a little distance to cover but they would arrive nevertheless. No doubt Sesshoumaru would decide to join them in battle to avenge his loss. Naraku placed the baboon's head upon his own and moved away.

He would be ready for them.

* * *

Sesshoumaru felt the blood drying on his claws and he flexed them involuntarily. He just stood there, staring at his horrendous deed.

His expression was like stone, hard and cold. He stood there unmoving for what seemed like hours hearing nothing but the rustling of leaves that sounded like whispers of sympathy to his ears.

He had lost what he had always taken for granted. His steed, his most faithful servant but most importantly, the child who had admired him for his greatness and not merely for his power. Rin was gone.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru's head jerked. _Tenseiga_.

He looked down at the sword passed down to him by his father. It wasn't pulsing like it usually did when something demanded its attention but Sesshoumaru unsheathed it all the same. He held it steadily over the mangled bodies of his companions and narrowed his eyes in order to see those gremlins from the Other World, the takers of souls.

He saw them, binding the souls of his followers with chains to drag them into the next world. He made a clean slicing movement through the little goblins. To his ultimate shock, they continued to tie chains around the bodies, as though nothing had happened. Sesshoumaru looked down at Tenseiga, he wondered why he hadn't worked and feeling now a strange emptiness now that the death of his companions was indeed definite. If the Tenseiga couldn't save them…nothing could. Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword with a pain in his heart, a pain that clenched at his insides that formed a tight ball of unexpressed grief. He pushed it down and cleared the way instead for a rising fury, a fury at himself for not being able to overcome that strange substance, a fury at his claws for tearing at the only things that held at least a little importance in his life, but most of all a fury at the one who had obviously responsible for all these happenings. The one who had purposefully sent insects to perform the dirty work, a thing that wasn't dignified enough to hold the title of 'person'; someone who was too cowardly, too sly, too evil to deserve a place among the living. Naraku.

Sesshoumaru began to boil up inside yet on the exterior was the same indifferent and slightly icy mask that hid more than the lord cared to admit. He had now a greater reason than ever to slice the filthy hanyou in half and throw the parts into the depths of hell. Naraku would pay dearly for this loss. Sesshoumaru swept past the lifeless bodies of his followers and began to pursue the scent of Naraku that for some time had been lingering in the wind. As he was about to enter the dark forest he turned back one last time. His heart clenched painfully at the sight but he forced himself to ignore the feeling. He made a promise to Rin; as soon as Naraku was finished he would bury her body with all the respect she properly deserved. And that meant Naraku had to die very soon.

Sesshoumaru turned to the forest and began his hunt.

* * *

"D-did you witness th-that, Hana-sama?"

The middle aged priestess nodded gravely. "Yes…I did."

And indeed she had. She continued to observe as the tall, white-haired demon lord disappear into the depths of the forest and waited until she no longer felt his aura. She gestured to her travelling companion and stepped out from between the trees. Her companion was trembling and she shook her head adamantly but the priestess Hana took hold of her arm and gently pulled her along.

Hana understood perfectly the apprehensive attitude of her companion. She considered herself a strong person in mind and spirit, but watching a full grown demon murder a child had shocked her, and she was surprised her stomach was deciding to hold on to its contents for a while longer.

Despite the whimpers of her fellow traveller, she approached the lifeless, mangled bodies of the three creatures that lay in the grass. She neared the body of the child and bent down to gently brush the hair away from her deathly pale face. The hair was sticky and heavy with blood and Hana gazed down at the small face that held but just one trace of a tear. That's when Hana's companion wheeled around and threw up violently on the grass. Hana straightened up and rubbed a consoling hand on her friend's back as she heaved and emptied her stomach contents.

When her friend started panting heavily and wiping the sweat off her brow, Hana moved away to take another look at the bodies. She shook her head.

"It is a great sin to slay a child." She said gravely. Her companion stood up straight and inhaled some fresh air. Hana sighed. She carefully approached the other forms that weren't human. With one touch of her hands she purified their bodies, reducing the masses to ashes. The breeze gently scattered the silvery dust in all directions and blew around the priestess' grey hair.

She gazed down at the last body. Her friend wiped the corners of her mouth with her kimono sleeve.

"What shall we do with her?" She asked the priestess. Hana stared sadly at the small figure lying on the ground, covered in blood. The child was a human, and that gave her the right of receiving a proper burial. This demon was a terrible being to have gone and slain such an innocent creature for no apparent reason. Hana knew that all demons were savage, but she had never seen one in the throes of rage kill a human being. He didn't even stay and devour the body. Surely he would return and finish his nasty deed at a later moment. Hana wouldn't allow it, she would give the human child the respect she deserved.

With the help of her travelling companion, Hana had a hole dug in a shady spot of the clearing, near some wildflowers and both women laid Rin's body in it. They covered her up with earth and lay some bluebells on the mound, and Hana prayed fervently for the girl's soul.

Hana dusted her priestess garments off and began to search inside her sleeves for something. Her companion, who was in a kneeling position intended for prayer, got to her feet.

"Hana-sama?"

"You will accompany me in my search for the demon that did this." Hana told her, as she rummaged through her clothing. Her companion gulped.

"B-but, what will you do when you find him?" she asked anxiously. Hana pulled out what she was looking for and held it up triumphantly.

"I will punish him." She said simply. "I will punish him for what he has done."

And a silver chain that held up an amber stone dangled from her hand.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so another chapter done. Please let me know what you think! No flamers though! Thank you. 


	3. Fruitless Battle

Sorry for not updating in a while, my life has been very hectic lately and my teachers like slave drivers, I swear. I have to read two books for next week and do some stupid essay on the people who make a living on the streets rummaging around for paper and plastic to recycle. Yay. Thanks so much:**Yukiasporkku****, Viperthe strange, Thoughts13, xxobSESSedxx, Project Dark Overlord, midnights-dawn **for your reviews, 'preciate 'em!

**Disclaimer:** Own Inuyasha? Moi? Why that's completely and utterly correct! Oh, and one more thing, why are you people putting that strange white jacket with abnormally long sleeves around me? I'm not cold. Hey! (Is dragged off kicking and screaming).

**Chapter 2: Fruitless Battle**

Inuyasha leapt over the treetops with Kagome clinging to his back tightly. Miroku and Sango flew close behind on top of Kirara and Shippou held onto Miroku's shoulder for dear life for fear of falling.

Inuyasha growled, he could definitely perceive Naraku's scent but it came and went, as if it were trying to tease him into getting closer. Inuyasha had considered the possibilities of Naraku setting a trap for them all, and that in itself wasn't unusual since it had happened on more than one occasion, yet Inuyasha refused to let an opportunity of destroying Naraku slip through his claws. He began to pick up the velocity, ignoring Kagome's soft shriek of surprise when he increased his speed. From the corner of his eye he could see Kirara easily match his pace. They would arrive in no time.

Suddenly, a new scent incorporated itself into the air along with Naraku's. A very familiar scent. Inuyasha growled louder and began to slow down. Kagome made an inquisitive sound.

"Inuyasha? Why are we stopping?"

Inuyasha didn't answer her, and he skidded to a halt, roughly releasing his hold of her. Kagome fell to the ground with a gasp, immediately getting up again to scream at him but stopped when she noticed the defensive stance he was taking. She shuddered involuntarily and looked around at the forest that surrounded them. Kirara touched down close by and Sango dismounted.

"Kagome-chan, is something wrong?"

"I'm…not sure." Kagome answered and then she turned to look at the hanyou standing a few feet away with his back to her. "Inuyasha?"

"Sh!"

Kagome became silent. She watched Inuyasha unsheathe Tessaiga and began to worry, what had he sensed? Were they in danger? Inuyasha took a deep breath.

"I know you're here ya bastard! Come out an' face me!" he yelled.

The breeze moved the leaves in the forest. Kagome heard a rustling sound and saw a tall, white haired demon step out of the darkness that offered the trees. He stood regally before them, a prince of ice as cold and as stoic as ever.

"Keh!" snorted Inuyasha, "Aren't you gonna say somethin'? Or shall I just start kickin' yer ass right now?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing. He merely stood there, as still as night. Kagome observed his expression carefully, and came to notice that something was missing from that ever void mask, but she couldn't even begin to identify what it could be. Her gazed wandered downwards slowly, feeling that something was different about him and almost did a double take when she realized he had both of his arms. She also saw that his hands were stained with dried blood; whose…she didn't know.

Inuyasha was getting riled. He thought that maybe Sesshoumaru was using a new technique on him, stay silent while he blew his top and that way win the battle. But Inuyasha wasn't about to let that happen. He wouldn't let his brother play those tricks on him anymore. Just then the breeze alerted his nose of more scents, all of them coming from his older brother. Inuyasha carefully lowered Tessaiga and scrutinised Sesshoumaru.

"You got both yer arms." He said in an almost accusatory tone, narrowing his eyes. He then gazed at Sesshoumaru's hands, caked with blood. Inuyasha felt lost and slightly horrified, Sesshoumaru was not acting like Sesshoumaru and so far wasn't making even the smallest attempt at sparring, not physically nor verbally. Sesshoumaru took one slow step forward and Inuyasha immediately jumped back into his defensive stance, raising the Tessaiga once again.

"Naraku is mine, half breed." Uttered Sesshoumaru in a low, ominous voice. Inuyasha understood the threat perfectly, it was a warning to stay out of the demon's way. But Inuyasha had travelled too far to give up the search of Naraku now, he was too close to his target, too close to his objective and nothing Sesshoumaru said or did would ever steer him in an opposite direction.

"Keh! I'll be the one to destroy Naraku, asshole, an' I don't need you stickin' yer ass in my way an' screwin' everything up." Snarled Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru stared at him impassively and said nothing. He merely turned his back on the group and began to walk away. But Inuyasha was too filled with adrenaline and a thirst for battle to let him leave so soon.

"OI! Where are you goin'? Off to try out yer new arm on more helpless beings? 'Cause I can see you had a hell of a time already!"

Sesshoumaru paused in mid step and turned his head slightly to the left to glare at Inuyasha from the corner of his eye. A breeze blew, stronger this time, and Inuyasha was finally able to identify whose blood was drying on Sesshoumaru's claws. His eyes widened with a dawning apprehension but the look quickly disappeared.

"Speak not of what is unknown to you, boy." Sesshoumaru said, his voice deep and menacing, his blazing amber eyes so threatening that Inuyasha was forced to take a step back and clutch his sword tighter. Even Kagome shuddered. Sesshoumaru faced the woods and slowly began his march into them but not before Inuyasha quietly asking;

"Is that why yer after him?"

Kagome stared at Inuyasha in confusion. Was he talking about Naraku? Did he know whose blood was on Sesshoumaru's hands? She watched Sesshoumaru carefully for any reaction. There was none, Sesshoumaru merely transformed his body into a large orb of brilliant energy, rising up and disappearing over the treetops. Inuyasha let out a strangled yell, hastily sheathing Tessaiga and shouting at Kagome to climb onto his back.

"Come on! He probably knows where Naraku is! Let's follow!"

Kagome hopped onto his back and they shot up into the air, gaining speed and whistling past the trees. Kirara was close behind with Sango and Miroku. Kagome held onto his back tightly, feeling the wind hit her face and the ground whiz past at an extreme rate. She neared her mouth to one of Inuyasha's triangular ears.

"Inuyasha, do you know whose blood that was?"

She didn't hear and answer from him and began to think that maybe he hadn't heard or understood the question. Just as she took a breath to repeat it Inuyasha spoke.

"…Yes."

And he gained more speed, leaving Kagome confused and worried at the same time.

OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo

Sesshoumaru stood as still as a stone statue, the light breeze caressed his hair and whispered in his ears, whispers of death and deceit, murmurings of blood shed and insanity, warnings of a demon's time that would soon be drawing to a close. Sesshoumaru could recognise that something in the air was telling him to be cautious, and the feelings that stirred up in him were similar to those he had experienced before…during the short moments prior to his group's demise. He could not ignore these sensations, even though they didn't directly relate to his inevitable confrontation with Naraku. They were warning him of something else, something unknown, but something powerful. Probably not as powerful as he but remained a threat strong enough to be considered.

Sesshoumaru reached out and touched the barrier of energy that without a doubt belonged to Naraku. The demon lord sensed its strength and had already calculated that a force bigger than what his swords possessed would be able to break through. Sesshoumaru felt a little repulsed when he was obligated to consider that his half brother's assistance would be needed, seeing as how the Tessaiga could easily slice through barriers similar to these once it transformed into a giant red fang.

Sesshoumaru was a very tolerant demon, but his patience was wearing thin. Inuyasha was still quite some distance away judging by the closeness of his scent and Sesshoumaru was growing angrier and more vengeful than ever. He was fully aware of the dried blood on his hands, having being reminded constantly when he moved his fingers which had become stiffened with the caked substance. Naraku would pay with not only his life but with his pain, his suffering and his ultimate agony and Sesshoumaru would only be satisfied when he saw Naraku's face twisted with absolute anguish as he died a slow, excruciating death by the blade of Toukijin. Sesshoumaru was impatient to have his revenge on the morally destitute hanyou who had forced him to reap the lives of those loyal to him.

Inuyasha's scent had grown stronger, which meant he would soon arrive and that signified the gradual execution of Naraku. Sesshoumaru slowly raised his left hand and stared at it. It was the hand that had claimed many lives in the past before being sliced off by Inuyasha and now it had claimed one more, one more life that held promise and warmth and love. Now all the tenderness of that life was lost, converted into a mere whisper of the wind and threatened to be forgotten. But Sesshoumaru wouldn't forget Rin, he would never forget Rin. Rin had been his light and his comfort despite him taking her for granted. How many times had he left her innocent questions unanswered? How many times had he left her with Jaken while he travelled on business or in pursuit of Naraku. When was he ever there for her? Nevertheless, she had offered him her playfulness, her smile and her undying admiration and what did he give her in return? A merciless and brutal death, which was all he ever handed out.

Sesshoumaru lowered his bloody hand. And after killing Naraku, then what? To roam the lands forever with no fixed objective? Would he have to find a new group of companions to follow him as he wandered in the wilderness? Or maybe he would settle down with a mate and worry about ruling the Western lands? No. There was nothing left for him anymore. If it had been under different circumstances, Sesshoumaru would have moved on swiftly and coldly, like he usually did, but now he had lost someone who had actually meant something to him. For the first time in hundreds of years Sesshoumaru felt desolate, and at a loss. He knew he should recover and once again hide behind the cold, uncaring mask but now he was wondering if that was the right decision. For as long as he knew himself, he was always the ruthless warlord Sesshoumaru, fearless and empty of compassion. He was still the same demon but Rin had warmed his heart and now it beat with a bitter tempo and he didn't know when it would become unfrozen again.

He heard sounds of Inuyasha's feet landing on the ground along with the large cat that accompanied the group. Sesshoumaru stayed where he was, not even acknowledging their arrival.

"This is where he's hidin'?" Inuyasha asked roughly, pulling out Tessaiga. Without waiting for an answer or warning Sesshoumaru to move out the way, Inuyasha charged at the air in front of him with his red Tessaiga. Sesshoumaru swiftly moved to one side as Inuyasha leapt into the air with a battle cry and sliced at the barrier. Once he jumped back, the scenery inside the barrier began to shimmer and change from a forest background to a dark and gloomy setting. As the ominous image became stronger Sesshoumaru could begin to distinguish a monstrous palace, surrounded by deadly poison clouds and menacing airs.

The barrier flickered for a few moments longer before completely vanishing into thin air allowing Sesshoumaru to pass through first, much to Inuyasha's rage. He protested loudly but the demon lord was already too way ahead of him for it to matter.

Sesshoumaru walked on, ignoring the wisps of purple cloud that stroked his body, he maintained focused on his intent. The stench of Naraku was everywhere and Sesshoumaru felt nothing but disgust and a growing, burning rage beneath his cool exterior that only Naraku's blood could extinguish. Sesshoumaru unsheathed Toukijin and continued walking towards the bleak palace.

Inuyasha followed impatiently, he wanted to be the one to destroy Naraku and there was no way Sesshoumaru was going to beat him to it. Kagome was running to catch up to him and he could hear the jangling of Miroku's staff not far behind. Inuyasha gripped Tessaiga tightly with both hands and took a deep breath.

"ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKIN' ATMOSPHERE NARAKU! I'M READY TO TAKE YOU DOWN!" He roared, ignoring Kagome's squeak of terror and Sesshoumaru's murderous glare. He was prepared to fight and he had waited far too long and searched far too much to stand around merely linger around until Naraku decided to show himself.

Just then, a column of thick purple smoke materialized at the entrance of the palace and it swirled around lazily until it began to take shape. Slowly but surely, the churning clouds formed a tall, bulky figure and a deep chilling laugh echoed around the grounds.

Sesshoumaru stood perfectly still and watched the pale face of his enemy emerge from the darkness, mocking him with his smile. Naraku's new body was stronger, more efficient now that he had perfected it in Mount Hakureizan. Sesshoumaru recalled the anger he felt when Naraku told him that he was merely testing his new body with his sword.

"So you finally appeared," said Inuyasha, "Prepare to have yer ass kicked!" And with a fierce battle cry, he charged towards Naraku with his Tessaiga raised above his head, only to be violently thrown back after coming into contact with Naraku's personal barrier. Naraku laughed deeply as Inuyasha jumped to his feet snarling. Kagome was immediately at his side to see if he was alright but he roughly pushed her aside.

"Leave it to me." He growled, gripping his sword again. Kagome glared at him and stood to her full height.

"There's no need to shove me around, Inuyasha, I was only worried about you." She said indignantly and she swiftly notched an arrow into her bow, aimed carefully at Naraku and fired, and the explosion of bright blue light from her spiritual energy illuminated its path until it reached its destination. Inuyasha reminded himself again that he was in the company of a powerful miko and that it would do well to treat her as such.

Naraku chuckled when the purifying arrow hit the barrier and disintegrated into dust. He had the near completed Shikon Jewel sitting in the palm of his hand and neither the Tessaiga nor any holy arrow would penetrate his protection as easily as it had with the barrier around his palace, which of course, he had purposefully weakened. He observed with a malevolent smile as the monk, unable to use his kazaana because of the poisonous insects, threw his holy scrolls only to have them completely dissolve in the poison clouds and he watched the Taijiya's futile attempts to break through his protection using her bone boomerang. He laughed; even the little kitsune was tossing his fox fire at him. Inuyasha, of course was vainly attacking his bubble with Tessaiga, be it using the wind scar technique or simply charging forward and hacking at it without results.

Naraku's smile faltered for just the slightest of moments when he spotted Sesshoumaru standing a considerable distance away, as still as a statue. The demon lord held the Toukijin in his hand and was watching the battle take place, with what seemed to be indifference. Only Naraku knew that was not so. The western lord was analysing the entire fight, no doubt considering Naraku's position and that of the others in the battle and establishing his own. Naraku chuckled deeply.

Inuyasha never ceased to curse and yell at the black haired hanyou inside of the barrier nor discontinue his attacks with his sword. Kagome was not far behind him shooting arrow after purifying arrow and Miroku and Sango continued with determination. For a moment, Inuyasha began to wonder where his older brother was and why he hadn't started attacking yet but all thoughts referring to Sesshoumaru dissolved as Inuyasha charged, swearing and cursing like the devil himself.

Naraku quickly became bored of the usual monotony of a battle with the half dog demon and instead focused his attention upon Sesshoumaru. How must he feel now, having slaughtered his companions and discovering who the real perpetrator was? Naraku smiled wickedly, how he loved toying with people's emotions. What wouldn't he give to find out what was going on beneath that icy exterior? Sesshoumaru was staring straight at him with those piercingly cold amber eyes, sending him a silent message of death and revenge.

Naraku smirked. As Inuyasha was thrown to the ground once again by the force of the barrier, Naraku took the opportunity to speak.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," he said in that excessively courteous tone that seemed to mock the very person he was directing himself to, "Why so silent?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed dangerously. How dare that thing address him? His fury was threatening to burn up his insides as it churned around and around, and Naraku's smirk only added more fire to the one that blazed beneath the cold surface. His face was perfectly wiped clean of emotion and his glare was fixed upon Naraku's pale face. He slowly raised Toukijin and he released a large part of his demonic energy, creating a powerful pulse that disturbed the air around him, making his long white hair sway and the pebbles on the ground shake. His eyes never left Naraku's.

"I shall let my sword speak for me." He said his voice an octave lower and filled with a barely suppressed fury.

Inuyasha got to his feet with the help of Tessaiga and Kagome. He was feeling winded and his ribs ached from the constant contact with the ground but he knew he had to continue. He could feel Sesshoumaru's aura expanding and it was so powerful it was making him nauseous but even so, he gripped his sword tightly and gathering what little strength and stamina he had left, he charged towards Naraku once again.

What the hanyou didn't expect was a flash of white knock him off his course and hurtle towards Naraku's barrier. Inuyasha crashed to the ground with a yell.

All that was to be seen of Sesshoumaru was in the form of a white blur that moved at superhuman speed, attacking different areas of the barrier and at each impact, Naraku's protection suffered terrible tremors and threatened to weaken. Naraku began to worry about his own safety as the demon lord slashed again and again with his sword without showing signs of stopping.

Sesshoumaru kept his attacks going at a steady pace which was about one hit per second, going so fast that he seemed to be in two places at once. He was too furious to feel drained, and his rage was fuelled by the unwanted images of blood and bodies filling his head, causing him to raise his superhuman velocity to an even higher level, something he hadn't done often because he never had the need to. Even Inuyasha lost sight of his brother who had apparently converted into a gust of livid air that rushed around Naraku's weakening barrier. Inuyasha felt like he was going to vomit and he gladly accepted Kagome's help as she kept him steady, Sesshoumaru's power was so overwhelming it threatened to make him sick.

Naraku stopped seeing Sesshoumaru completely and the only indication of the lord being there was the constant shaking of the barrier caused by the unvarying impacts of Sesshoumaru's sword. Naraku realized that if this continued for longer, his barrier would break and Sesshoumaru would eventually kill him, perhaps with a little help from Inuyasha. Yes, he needed more time to think of another plan, this time using something other than a full grown and angry dog demon's emotions to meddle with. Naraku began to surround himself with his thick poison clouds and his bodily form slowly disbanded to become one with the purple smoke.

Sesshoumaru ceased his attacks upon the barrier and gracefully touched down onto the ground before it, his thirst for Naraku's blood unquenched and his ire burning almost uncontrollably.

Naraku laughed and raised his dark, cloudy form into the air, gathering his incarnations who had been watching the whole scene from within the walls of the palace. Sesshoumaru's eyes followed the mass as it gradually disappeared from view and he continued to hear Naraku's echoed laughter mock him as he stood there, holding Toukijin in his hand.

Inuyasha swore loudly and ran forward, waving the Tessaiga about furiously. Kagome sighed and stowed away the arrow she had been intending to shoot at Naraku and called to Inuyasha who was still ranting at the disappearing purple cloud. She knew that Inuyasha was going to talk about this for weeks, complaining how Naraku had gotten away and then become determined to start searching again. He would badger them for days about it, urging at them to gather their strength to walk long distances in order to find him again. Kagome knew Inuyasha well enough to be able to anticipate this kind of behaviour.

"Kagome-sama?"

Kagome turned and saw Miroku look at her questioningly. "What are we to do now?"

Kagome shrugged and then shook her head. "Wait until Inuyasha's cooled down, I guess." She replied and glanced at the hanyou who was breathing heavily after his bout of yelling. Miroku nodded and went to check to see if Sango was alright.

Kagome looked around the grounds of the palace. It seemed less ominous and austere now that Naraku's perverse presence was gone, now it appeared gloomier and sadder as if something vital had been ripped out of its place and all that lingered was a shell of what it had once been. She couldn't help feeling pity for the building.

Her gaze rested on a tall, white figure that had remained staring at the area of sky where Naraku was last seen. Kagome watched the demon lord slowly sheathe his sword, noticing that his hands were still stained with dried blood. Kagome wished she knew whose blood it was, and she wondered why Inuyasha refused to tell her. She knew he knew, with his nose he would be able to tell straight away, so why did he refrain from answering her question? And he said himself months ago, when she first met Sesshoumaru, that he was a ruthless killer, so why all the mystery concerning the blood? It wasn't as if it was someone she knew...or was it?

Sesshoumaru began to walk away, his footsteps steady but, Kagome noticed, without purpose. It was very subtle and Sesshoumaru had hidden it very well but she could see that he was looking a little less…ruthless than usual. What could have happened to have him in that state? Did it have to do with the blood on his hands? Why did he have his left arm back? Was that the reason? No it wasn't, it was something else, something serious because not even Inuyasha, who liked to badmouth Sesshoumaru and his deeds at every opportunity, wanted to speak of it.

Maybe something had happened to Rin. That little child companion she had met when Sesshoumaru had his hand tightening Kohaku's throat. Kagome stered at the bloody hands of the demon lord as he walked further away.

Kagome gasped. Could it be…?

She started to run after him, dropping her bow and arrows upon the ground so that she could catch up.

"Sesshoumaru!"

The demon lord's ears twitched but he continued with his strides.

"Sesshoumaru!"

"Kagome what the fuck are you doin'?"

Kagome ignored the hanyou and kept going. "Sesshoumaru, please stop!"

Sesshoumaru paused and stood with his back to her. He gave no indication of intending to listen to what she had to say but Kagome was determined to make him hear her out.

She bent over to catch her breath and then straightened up, feeling a little nervous but knowing that the demon lord wasn't facing her and staring at her with his piercing eyes made it less difficult.

"Sesshoumaru…that blood…" she began delicately, and saw him stiffen ever so slightly and his right claw twitched momentarily.

"Is it…I mean…was it…" she swallowed, "…Rin's?"

Sesshoumaru was completely still and silent, and had Kagome not known he was a demon she would have thought he hadn't heard her. She took a deep breath, conscious of Inuyasha's presence behind her and of his growing anxiety, for her safety perhaps.

"It _is _Rin's…isn't it?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing. The light breeze moved through his long silvery hair which was the only thing that seemed to possess movement, since the lord himself was standing so perfectly still. Now Kagome was certain the blood was Rin's, why else would Sesshoumaru be acting in this manner? His usual cold and distant self had become colder and _more_ distant and this couldn't be for no apparent cause.

Inuyasha was getting uneasy with this silence and so were Miroku and Sango, but Kagome remained staring at Sesshoumaru's back.

"Did you…" Kagome couldn't bring herself to say the words 'kill her', for now she was beginning to fear how Sesshoumaru may react, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. But she needn't have bothered for as if he'd read her mind his head turned quickly to the side, giving her a view of his profile, his eyes flashing icily.

"That is none of your concern, human." He snapped. And with that he transformed himself into a ball of energy and rose up into the air, quickly disappearing over the treetops of the forest. Inuyasha walked up Kagome's side, his eyes still on the treetops.

"Keh! I don't know what the hell you were thinkin' Kagome but you should be thankful yer alive. Who knows what that bastard might have done to you after you mentioned-"

"You knew! You knew and you didn't tell me!" Kagome shrieked, facing him furiously, her cheeks flushed and her expression fierce. Inuyasha jumped back and threw up his hands defensively.

"Wha-?"

"You _knew_ it was Rin's blood and you refused to tell me! If Sesshoumaru had done anything to hurt me then it would have been _your _fault for not providing the information I was seeking from him!" she shouted, her finger prodding Inuyasha's chest painfully, making him take a step back. Miroku and Sango were watching the two curiously not sure if they should intervene or let the situation develop.

"I didn't wanna tell you because I knew you were gonna ask him about it when you got the chance! How was I supposed to know you were gonna do it anyway?"

Kagome growled in frustration and stormed off, grabbing her bow and arrows and slinging them on her shoulder. She marched towards the forest, away from the palace and not before screaming;

"We are going to follow him and you are going to ask him exactly what happened!"

Inuyasha stared after her incredulously. "ARE YOU OUTTA YER FUCKIN' MIND?" he screeched.

"NO! And one more thing!" she cried, whirling around, "If you would have joined forces with Sesshoumaru today, Naraku might be dead by now!" and she flounced off. Inuyasha opened his mouth angrily and closed it again, not knowing what to say. Why did always get blamed for not fighting alongside his brother? It wasn't like Sesshoumaru was extending an invitation.

Miroku gave Inuyasha a little encouraging push. "I think it would be best if you did what she says for now, Inuyasha." He said wisely. Inuyasha growled and bounded off after Kagome, with Miroku, Sango and Shippou atop of Kirara in his wake.

OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo

A/N: not much happening in this chapter but I promise that the next one is the key chapter to read, Sesshoumaru will confront the powerful priestess Hana and her amber stone…very interesting. Please read and review!


	4. Trapped in a Mist of Amber

Sorry for the eternal wait but my life is really crappy right nowBut all you lovely people are so great that I can't bear to leave you without a chapter! I hope you haven't lost track of the story! Don't even think about abandoning it because the best is yet to come.

**Disclaimer: **Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's Rumiko Takahashi coming at me with a stake and a string of garlic! Hissssssss! Noooooooo! (This means I don't own Inuyasha.)

**Chapter 3: Trapped in a Mist of Amber**

Sesshoumaru landed gracefully in the middle of the clearing where he had last been with his now deceased companions. He sensed something was different more than a mile away and he gazed around him, understanding that he hadn't been the only one to set foot in this part of the glade. The most notable difference was the fact that all three of the bodies were no longer lying in the grass, with their eyes glassed over and the blood dripping from their wounds. Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw tightly at the horrid memory of it, the horrid memory of what he had done. He raised his left hand and stared at it, hating it for what it destroyed, for what it had taken from him. In gaining an arm he had lost the lives of those who had been loyal to him, and this to him seemed like a most unjustifiable and bitter trade.

_Damn you Naraku…you will suffer a slow, torturous demise for this. You cannot imagine the extent of the agony I shall and will inflict on your filthy being. No amount of cowardice or slyness will save you._

Sesshoumaru lowered his hand. The dried blood had been cleaned off with fresh water from a small brook not far from where he had landed but no amount of the liquid could wash away the combined scents of his companions. And what made matters worse was that Rin's scent was the strongest, acting as a reminder of why the little girl wasn't following him around and pestering him at that moment.

Sesshoumaru could tell by the lingering spiritual energy that a person possessing holy powers had come around these parts and he deduced from one quick glance and sniff of a strange glittery dust in the grass that it was the remainder of what were once a loyal steed and a devoted vassal. Their bodies had no doubt been purified. He experienced the smallest flicker of anger at whoever had disposed of the bodies, simple humans who respected nothing of demon tradition and who dared to show such blatant disregard for matters such as these.

But this wasn't what angered him the most. The fact that Rin's body had been moved was what fuelled his ire, and smelling her scent combined with that of the damned intruder all over it made his insides burn. He followed the smell until he reached a spot on the edge of the clearing, beneath a large tree laden with pale yellow blossoms. There was a mound of recently upturned earth piled up on the grass and from what Sesshoumaru could tell by the scent, as he felt what seemed to be a heavy stone drop into his stomach, was that Rin had been buried beneath it. A small bunch of wildflowers had been placed upon the mound and a round stone marked the place where her head presumably would have been. Sesshoumaru slowly lowered himself upon one knee and gazed at the final resting place of his little follower, ignoring the prickles of holy energy that flickered from the air around it. He hadn't been able to fulfil his promise of destroying Naraku, or coming back to bury Rin with the respect she deserved. He hadn't been able to fight off the dark spell that had taken control of his mind, he hadn't been able to stop himself from murdering his only companions. And now, he hadn't been able to return and lay their bodies to rest. Instead some wretched stranger who was no doubt passing by had accomplished the task, obviously unaware of the fact that their actions would prove to anger the Lord of the Western Lands as they touched what belonged to him. And this did nothing to relieve him of the guilt that he felt coil around his heart, knowing that he hadn't been able to return from his infuriatingly unsuccessful battle with Naraku in time to avoid this.

The mixture of resentment and culpability broiling within him gradually ebbed away as he remained kneeling by the grave, his eyes fixed upon the mound. His right arm slowly reached out and he gently touched the earth with his fingers, watching small grains of it scatter down into the grass at the disturbance of his contact.

"It was a mistake for you to return, demon."

Sesshoumaru stiffened. Why had he not sensed this presence earlier? Giving little importance to this detail, he elegantly rose to a standing position. With his penetrating amber eyes he scrutinised the person before him, a middle aged woman wearing a priestess' hakama and haori, long grey hair tied back with a ribbon and a firm, set expression on her lined face. She had come alone and unarmed, and Sesshoumaru noticed this with a smirk, this meant he wouldn't have to bother with using Toukijin to get rid of her. She was human of course, but she was suppressing a formidable aura and maybe that was why he hadn't perceived her presence before. Now, she was expanding it ever so slightly, as if to give him a notion of what her power was but Sesshoumaru wasn't intimidated by it in the slightest, letting his own energy leak out in small quantities.

The priestess Hana stood her ground firmly but she had to admit that this demon's power was quite overwhelming, even though it was at its most minimal level. She studied him carefully, realizing that this would not be a simple sealing task given that he possessed a great energy that could unbalance her own during the process and that meant that she was risking death by following through with what she had planned for him. And it would be a painful death; his energy would consume her completely causing her own power to implode inside her body. She had witnessed this more than once during her training and the aftermath hadn't been very pleasant.

"I assume you are the one who disrespected the law of possession, human." Sesshoumaru said, his steely voice cutting through the tense air.

"I did no such thing. I merely gave the girl a proper burial and disposed of the demons that you slaughtered." Hana replied.

"Hmph."

"Yes, I saw you. I saw everything with my own eyes and I thought it was the most sickening and despicable thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life." Hana said, her voice a little louder and expressing disgust.

"Take care with your choice of words, human, you are in the presence of a Lord." Sesshoumaru said with dangerous calm. To his anger, Hana snorted.

"Ha, demons are all the same, I make it a rule never to allow those small few the distinction of nobility because all of you are low, scheming creatures that enjoy bloodbaths and watching humans suffer." She finished, staring at him accusingly.

Sesshoumaru took a step forward, his patience wearing thin. "You will do well to shut that filthy human mouth of yours so that I may kill you in silence." He snapped.

"Oh, like the child?"

Sesshoumaru tensed up. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"Will you slaughter me in the same way? Tell me, demon, what did that little girl ever do to anger you in such a manner that you saw it fit to give her such a cruel and undeserving death?" Hana asked heatedly. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes snapped open and he narrowed them dangerously at the miko.

"I have no need to justify my actions to you." He told her coldly. Hana gave a small, dry laugh.

"Why would you? You're a demon, practically an animal." She moved her gaze to Rin's grave. "At least she's in a place far away from a monster like you." She said and she looked back at him.

Sesshoumaru stood in silence, his face betraying not one hint of a feeling or an emotion, his stance firm and solid and his eyes as cold and as hard as ever. He made no attempt to reply or to even make clear that he had given any importance to her words.

Hana reached inside the sleeve of her haori and pulled out a long elegant silver necklace, with a beautiful amber stone set in an intricately decorated oval frame made of the same silver as the chain. Throughout the years of her training as a miko, she had observed how other monks and priestesses usually sealed demons too powerful to purify into specially chosen objects, the majority of them mirrors. She considered mirrors too fickle when handling dangerous creatures because they could be easily cracked or broken and even thought the whole sealing process was simpler using mirrors, the spell would never last more than fifty or so years. She had heard of one case that had happened a few years before she was born, where a demon had been sealed into a mirror by a powerful monk who had placed it somewhere at the foot of Mount Fuji. However, fifty years later, the demon was released, taking the form of a beautiful Tennyo who had attempted to freeze the time flow of all of the country, creating an eternal night over which she would reign in her Castle of Illusions. Hana had been on a mission at that time but as she passed through villages and shrines, snippets of conversations reached her ears and told her about the occurrence. The Tennyo had been destroyed, by whom Hana didn't know but she had heard that a young hanyou and his group of followers had been the heroes.

Hana preferred medallions and other forms of jewellery to mirrors; mostly precious stones because she felt that they held a secret type of energy that aided her in her tasks. Amber stones were most effective, they were full of positive energy and she liked the colour a lot, not to mention that these stones were easier to destroy than diamonds should the need arise. This, she felt was one case where the destruction of the pendant would prove necessary in order to prevent the escape of this powerful demon lord should the spell weaken or break.

Sesshoumaru eyed the pendant with indifference as she held it out in her right hand.

"And now demon, I will vanquish you." She said in a resolute voice. Sesshoumaru couldn't help sneering at her words.

"You genuinely plan on overpowering me, old woman?"

Hana narrowed her brown eyes at him. "I have sealed many great demons in my youth, so don't let this weathered face fool you."

Sesshoumaru's sneer disappeared and was replaced with a mask of stone. "I am seldom fooled." He answered coldly.

"Let me be the judge of that then." Replied Hana and she raised the pendant higher and began to chant, closing her eyes and expanding her aura further until the air was crackling as it reacted with the energy Sesshoumaru had released.

_Foolish human,_ he thought with irritation_, her power is no match for mine_. _She will not be able to defeat me with a simple spell and a ridiculous pendant_. He released more of his potent energy and watched it react forcefully against her pure aura, creating bright sparks and crackling sounds like electricity.

Hana frowned and knotted her eyebrows together as she put more effort into her chanting, concentrating harder and harder on the demon standing emotionlessly before her, the amber stone rising by itself into the air and being pulled like a magnet towards the source of the demon energy. Hana released her aura to the fullest of its extent and it contracted once before impacting with a boom against Sesshoumaru's energy, producing more flashes and flickers of light from the friction generated between both auras.

Sesshoumaru scowled and took a step forward, which proved to be surprisingly difficult as he found that the holy energy surging from the miko was beginning to envelop him. _Hmph,_ he thought,_ This is nothing. _Sesshoumaru liberated the rest of his power as Hana had done creating another loud impact and making Hana increase the rate of her chanting, clutching the chain tightly as the amber stone pulled on it.

Sesshoumaru continued flaring out his energy at a constant rate, sensing that the miko was beginning to weaken as her aura escaped into the air. His power started to disturb the grass and trees surrounding them, making them sway and tremble. What was more, the earth on Rin's grave was beginning to crumble and dissolve and Sesshoumaru noticed this with one quick glance.

What was he doing?

Not only had he killed Rin, not only had he abandoned her but now he was disturbing her rest, her grave. His aura was gradually destroying the last remnants of what was once a little girl who had served him and followed him devotedly. She didn't deserve this. But Sesshoumaru would not allow himself to be sealed like a low class demon; his pride would never allow it. Besides, he had no desire to have anything in common with Inuyasha who had been sealed himself, and also by a miko.

…But then there was Rin.

No, he would not be defeated, he would kill the miko and return to roaming his lands as always and living out his life in the solitude he desired. What was left of Rin was no more than a body covered with dirt and it would eventually deteriorate becoming nothing but dust. But even cold, heartless Lord Sesshoumaru didn't think this gave him the right to obliterate the child's final resting place.

Despite her growing exhaustion, Hana sensed his hesitation in his aura and she put all of her effort and strength into her spell before he had a chance to make up his mind. Chanting rapidly, she shot her arm up into the air, holding the pendant and focused all of her energy into the amber stone. A small, golden coloured vortex began to form from the inside, expanding itself until it was as large as she was and starting to suck in large quantities of Sesshoumaru's energy. Sesshoumaru growled and tried to take a step back but couldn't, feeling himself being pulled towards the swirling vortex. Hana fell to her knees, unable to support herself on her two feet but her chants were consistent and her concentration solid.

Sesshoumaru attempted to release more strength into his aura but it was only absorbed by the vortex which continued to pull at him, making his feet slide ever so slightly along the ground. His long hair was whipping forward and his fur pelt was being pulled in the direction of the golden vortex and his swords were rattling against his hip, as if trying to get free. He was suddenly reminded of the wind tunnel in the hand of the monk that travelled around with Inuyasha, remembering the first time he had encountered it.

Hana's voice had increased in volume and her chants were leaving her mouth faster, the aura from her body was weakening but the aura from the amber stone remained strong. She knew that the amber stone was sucking up all of the energy around her as well as Sesshoumaru's in order for the spell to work and if she didn't hurry up and seal him soon, her vital energy would eventually be absorbed and she would die of exhaustion.

Sesshoumaru's body resisted the powerful pulling winds as much as possible but the Lord himself wondered why he was even bothering with resistance. Wouldn't it be simpler to just let himself be sealed? It would mean forgetting his pride and accepting his fate, it would mean never having to remember all the things he had done in the past, it would be like a peaceful sleep, much like death. In the end, he had nothing left for him now other than his lands, his father's lands but he hardly spent time there, he resented his father too much to continue overseeing his territory.

But being bound by a spell meant facing humiliation and disgrace. No, he wouldn't allow it, he would never allow it. He would fight. He would.

_I **will** fight…_

But he couldn't help thinking that this was some kind of retribution for what he had done, in the past and recently, a type of punishment for considering killing his father, for neglecting his half brother, for hating the world…for slaughtering Rin. Was this…justice?

_If it is…then so be it._

Hana was suddenly thrown backwards by an enormous force which caused her to release the pendant and crash to the ground. She watched on as the golden vortex swirled around rapidly and was sucked into the amber stone with a whooshing sound, leaving the pendant hanging by itself in the air before it fell to the ground with a light thud.

Hana stared at it. She looked up at where Sesshoumaru had been standing.

He was gone.

OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo

Inuyasha skidded abruptly to a stop, earning a squeal from Kagome. He released her and began to sniff the air around him. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Yeugh. It reeks of blood here."

Kagome looked around her. The two of them were standing in the middle of a glade, partially surrounded by trees that gently swayed in the late afternoon breeze. It seemed like a peaceful and tranquil place.

A rustling sound caught their attention, and Inuyasha immediately grabbed his Tessaiga with a growl.

An aged miko emerged from the thick bushes, staggering a few feet at a time and clutching the neck of her haori, grimacing with what seemed to be pain. Inuyasha's hold on Tessaiga remained firm but Kagome let out a gasp and rushed to the woman's side in order to aid her. Inuyasha called her back.

"Oi! Kagome! You'd better stay away from her, I'm sensing some freaky kinda energy around here!"

Kagome ignored him and reached the miko just as she collapsed upon the grass, moaning weakly. Kagome dropped to her knees and helped the old woman raise her head.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Kagome asked, sounding concerned.

The old miko coughed and tried to take in a ragged breath. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe and her body was so exhausted that speaking was almost out of the question. She didn't have much time left.

"…Y-you…miko?" she rasped. For a moment, Kagome didn't understand what she was asking but the way the woman was looking at her made her realize what the object of the question was.

"Me? Oh...Well…sort of." Kagome said awkwardly. She stared at the miko. "Is there something you want me to do?"

The priestess tried her best to nod while struggling to breathe. With tremendous effort, she raised her right fist as far up as she could and Kagome caught a glimpse of a long delicate chain dangling from her closed hand as the sunlight flashed off it.

"De….Des…."

Another raspy breath. "Dest…."

"Dest…what? What are you trying to tell me?" Kagome asked, clutching the miko's weathered hand in hers. She felt something cold and heavy press to her palm but before she could look to see what it was, the miko gave a heaving breath and uttered her last.

"Destroy…him…"

The hand Kagome was holding became limp and fell to the grass and it's owner's eyes became misted and cloudy with death. Kagome stared down at what the miko had passed to her.

"A pendant?"

"Keh!" snorted Inuyasha as he joined her side.

Kagome raised herself to her feet. "I wonder what could have possibly happened to her?" she mused. She looked down sadly at the miko, whose grey hair fluttered slightly in the breeze. She shivered, thinking involuntarily of Kaede and finding similarities between the two priestesses. She hoped her old friend wouldn't die in a related position.

"She said…destroy him. Destroy who? There was no one around when we got here, was there? Did you sense anyone else, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, turning to him. Inuyasha didn't answer her. He seemed to be disturbed about something, Kagome noticed it in the way his ears twitched and how his eyes looked darker and more troubled.

"Inuyasha what's wrong?"

Inuyasha remained silent. He took a few steps nearer to the place where the priestess had emerged and sniffed at the air around it.

"I don't get it." He said, in low tones. Kagome ran up to him, the chain swaying in her grasp.

"What is it?" she asked, concerned at his behaviour.

"I can sense a lot of energy here, probably the miko's…but…I think….I think Sesshoumaru was here too." He sniffed around again to try and confirm it. "I can't be sure if it _is_ him though." He added, frowning.

Kagome gave him a confused stare. "How can you not be sure? Either it is him or it isn't."

"I don't know, it's like he was here but then changed into something else, y'know like when you smell somethin' cookin' and when it's time to eat it turns out to be completely different from what you first smelt."

Kagome made a confused sound. "Is that even possible?"

Inuyasha seemed to think about it but then he shrugged. "Keh! It probably wasn't the bastard anyway." He said roughly, but he didn't look too convinced.

Kagome shook her head, "No Inuyasha, your nose has never been wrong." She raised a hand to scratch her head, forgetting that she had the pendant in it until it whipped her lightly on the cheek. "Ow!"

Inuyasha snorted with amusement and Kagome gave him a sharp look, rubbing her cheek. She sighed and gazed at the amber stone, wondering what the miko could have possibly meant with her last words. Why was it so important to destroy whoever it was that needed destroying? And why on earth had she been given this pendant? Was it needed to carry out the task? Or was it simply an heirloom that the miko didn't want to fall into the wrong hands? That would explain the question the priestess had asked her, if she was a miko or not. She stared into the golden depths of the stone, and tried to shake off the inexplicable feeling of apprehension that was taking over her heart. Was she the only one sensing that something was wrong?

"Kagome, lets get outta here. The energy in this place is freaky." Inuyasha said gruffly, and bent down to let her climb onto his back. Kagome bit her lip as she mounted.

"But weren't we supposed to find Sesshoumaru?"

"Keh! That asshole doesn't wanna be found. Just forget it."

Kagome took one last look at the amber stone in her palm as she held on to Inuyasha's shoulders. She was just about to stow it away when she though she saw something in the profound depths of the amber. She wasn't sure but she could have sworn that it flashed white for a moment. She felt Inuyasha prepare to take of into the skies but she stopped him and scrambled off his back.

"Eh? What the hell are you doin'? Let's go already!"

"Wait! I just…I thought I saw something in the pendant."

Inuyasha growled with impatience. "Look, that old hag was loopy, just cos she says you gotta destroy someone don't mean you actually have to-"

"OH MY GOD!" Kagome cried. Inuyasha jumped to her side at once.

"What? What? Did you see anything?"

Kagome shoved the amber stone in front of his face and pointed to it. "Look! There's something in there!"

Inuyasha squinted and examined it closely. "I don't see anyth- HOLY SHIT!" he yelled leaping back.

"See?"

Inuyasha snatched the chain from her and peered at it once more. "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know, what do you suppose it could-"

"Oooooh…no." Inuyasha said, sniffing the stone. "Aaaw, hell no." he said, the rising dread he was feeling clearly evident in his voice. He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. "This is fucked up."

Kagome stared at him confusedly. Taking the pendant from him she looked at it closely but couldn't seem to find what had disturbed Inuyasha so. Inuyasha took a few steps away from her and the chain.

"Whatever you say, I am _not_ gonna help him get outta there. No way in _hell_ am I gonna do anything to get him to come back, and I don't care how many times you 'sit' me." Inuyasha growled, crossing his arms resolutely over his chest. Kagome blinked at him, wearing an expression of complete bewilderment.

"He? What do you mean not help him out? What are you talking about?"

"There is NO WAY that bastard is gettin' any help from me!"

"What? Who? Who's 'he'?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "I'm gonna have to be friggin' crazy to lend him a hand!"

"WHO. IS. 'HE'!!??" Kagome screamed, waving her arms about. She panted with the effort and gave Inuyasha an angry yet questioning glare.

"Who do you think? My fuckin' asshole brother's in that pendant."

OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo

A/N: Ooooh…now things are getting interesting. What will Inuyasha and Kagome do now? Will they take the miko's advice and destroy the pendant or will they find out how to break the spell? Find out in Kyuuketsuki-san's next chapter of 'Amber on a Silver Chain'!

I am a sad, sad person.


	5. The Amber Jewel of Vitality

I seem to be apologising a lot lately…I'M SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! (cries) I'm just so lazy! But thanks for the support and you guys must have the patience of bloody saints to keep up with my slow mo pace!

Thnaks especially to Murdoca, Azhriaz and Viperthe strange, you all are my inspiration!

**Disclaimer: **out of the few possessions I have, I can't seem to find that contract that entitles me to a copyright of Inuyasha. (Searches around turning everything upside down.) Now where the hell did I put that? OMG, I just remembered…I don't HAVE one. Duh.

**Chapter 5: The Amber Jewel of Vitality**

The aged miko Kaede studied the pendant with her one good eye as she turned it over and over in her palm. She shook her head and looked up at the pair standing before her.

"This is very powerful magic…I have not seen this type of spell in many a year."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha anxiously but the hanyou appeared to be supremely unconcerned. She was well aware of how little Inuyasha appreciated his half brother but she wasn't completely certain of what the hanyou would do when he came to realize that his only family was gone, because apparently the magnitude of the situation hadn't seemed to have completely sunk in. Or had it? Either way, Inuyasha didn't look like he cared in the slightest.

"Do you know how to release Sesshoumaru from there, Kaede-sama?" Asked Kagome, ignoring Inuyasha's 'keh!'. Kaede shook her grey head sadly.

"I'm afraid I have not the power, nor the resources for such a thing to be possible." She said, handing the chain back to Kagome, who took it with a slight frown.

"Perhaps it would be wise to question the Miko who sealed him."

Kagome looked up at the old priestess with a slight desperation in her eyes. "We can't…"

Inuyasha snorted and pushed his back off from the doorframe he had been resting against and walked slowly over to the two women, sitting down carelessly on the floor and slipping his hands into the sleeves of his haori.

"That old wench is dead."

Kagome looked at him sharply. Inuyasha challenged her gaze. "What? She is! And when we went to give her a proper burial, there was nothin' left to bury." He finished, this time directing himself to Kaede.

Kaede stared at him in puzzlement. "How do you mean?"

Inuyasha made an impatient sound. "All that was left was friggin' dust, that's what I friggin' mean."

Even though Kagome disagreed with his brusque way of explaining it, she nodded, simultaneously recalling the scene to her mind. The two of them had bent down to examine the Miko's body for any clue as to who she was or if she may have something to help undo the spell, but as soon as Kagome reached out to touch the cold skin, the woman's whole body disintegrated, leaving only the vacant clothes that sunk towards the ground, covering the powdery residue that hadn't been scattered by the breeze. Kagome had gasped loudly and covered her mouth with her hand, but soon recognised that there was nothing left to be done.

Kaede seemed lost in thought. The water she had been boiling over the fire was bubbling and the old woman removed the pot from the flames, adding the tea leaves to it and letting it brew before pouring into two separate cups. Kagome thanked her and gingerly lifted her cup to her lips, blowing the thin wisps of steam from the surface of the liquid and finally taking a sip. Her mind was digesting the now solid fact that Sesshoumaru was going to remain in the amber stone, since she had no idea how to break the spell and neither did Kaede. Furthermore, Inuyasha wasn't going to help her search for a solution, so all that was left to do was to keep the pendant under her care until something could be done about it. Kagome heard footsteps as someone entered the hut, followed by a melodious jingling of metal.

"Kagome-sama, I just spoke to a monk that has just arrived from one of the northern villages. He tells me that there have been strange presences there and numerous sightings of purple shouki clouds." Miroku informed. Inuyasha got to his feet.

"Keh! So that's where the bastard's hidin'!" He said, with a grin that expressed the anticipation he felt for another battle. He turned to Kagome. "C'mon, let's go!"

Kagome couldn't help the droop of her shoulders, she was tired and Inuyasha probably knew, but that wouldn't stop him from dragging her along on another chase after Naraku. She put her cup of tea down and picked up the amber pendant that lay beside her knees. Aware of Inuyasha's impatient gaze, she got to her feet, pocketing the chain. She lifted her chin and a firm expression took hold of her face, something that told Inuyasha that he wouldn't like what was coming.

"I need to go home."

OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo

After hours of persuasion, Kagome found herself alone and by the Bone Eater's Well, clutching the amber pendant in her hand and her significantly light backpack in the other. She had convinced Inuyasha that she required more supplies for the journey that would inevitably be ahead of them and she touched the feminine subject of menstruation, mentioning her need for the materials associated with the monthly occurrence. That alone sent Inuyasha into an embarrassing and uncomfortable silence, and with a grumble he let her go.

What Kagome desperately wanted was a nice, hot bath to soothe her aching muscles after the last battle with Naraku. She also desired some of her mother's wonderful cooking and her mouth watered at the mere thought of it. What's more, she had to find a safe place for Sesshoumaru, who had become imprisoned in the amber stone which now resided in her pocket. She patted it, making sure it was still there and then hoisted her near empty pack over her shoulder. She would have left the chain in the care of Inuyasha but she was certain he would lose it either accidentally or on purpose, given the relationship between the two brothers. Another choice would have been leaving it in the care of someone Sesshoumaru knew, like family or friends but since Sesshoumaru's family consisted of Inuyasha who had no interest whatsoever in his wellbeing; and since the lord's friends were few, Kagome took it upon herself to find a safe place for him in her own time, where antiques and valuable items were treated with the utmost care. And if one day she would find a way to undo the spell, she could easily retrieve the pendant from wherever it had been stored. Kagome smiled at herself proudly for thinking of such a simple solution.

She patted her bulging pocket once more and hopped into the well.

On the other side, Kagome hoisted herself out and slid open the shrine doors carefully, looking left to right. Certain that all was well, she began making her way towards her house. She stopped dead at the sound of some familiar voices.

"Mrs Higurashi, are you sure we can't go and see Kagome? She hasn't been to school all week…we're really worried about her." Said Eri, one of Kagome's friends. The other two girls on either side of her nodded anxiously. Kagome was completely rooted to the spot, her mind racing. They hadn't seen her yet, but what would they think when they did, carrying a grubby yellow rucksack and wearing a battle stained school uniform on a Sunday morning?

"I'm afraid not, girls." Replied Mrs Higurashi amiably, "She's…sleeping and I really don't want her rest disturbed."

The three girls drooped. Kagome took the chance to make frantic signs to get her mother's attention. Mrs Higurashi's head turned towards her and Kagome felt a surge of triumph. She pointed to her bedroom window and her mother nodded, understanding immediately.

"Ah, would you excuse me for one moment? I believe I heard Kagome wake up…maybe she feels like visitors. I'll just go upstairs and check, so please, come in and make yourselves at home while you wait." She said with a quick smile and she let the three friends enter. She followed them in and led them to the sitting room, then with brisk steps, she ascended the stairs and went to her daughter's bedroom.

Meanwhile, Kagome had dashed to her grandfather's shed and stashed her rucksack in one of the lower shelves, careful not to move anything because she knew by experience how hazardous her grandfather's extensive antique collection could be. She was just about to rush off when she remembered the pendant that was stowed inside her pocket. She carefully pulled it out and searched around for a place to store it. On one of the higher shelves she spotted a small wooden box, covered in a layer of dust.

_Perfect,_ she thought and she pulled out a little stool and stepped up on it. She knew she was probably making her mother wait so she hurried things up, grabbing the box (and quickly blowing the dust off), opening it and delicately placing the amber pendant inside. She closed the lid and patted it, praying that she had found a secure enough spot and she quickly put the little box on the shelf, beside some strange looking vases. She memorised the location as she stepped off the stool and after dusting herself off as best she could, she darted out of the old shed and tried to remember exactly how Inuyasha always managed to climb up to her bedroom window.

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"Awww, grandpa…do I have to?" complained the little black haired boy.

"Of course, Souta! How am I supposed to do it all by myself, especially at my age?" grouched the old man indignantly. Souta fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater.

"Okay." He mumbled. "I'll help."

Grandpa Higurashi ruffled the boy's hair with his gnarled fingers. "Good boy!" he beamed and set off towards his precious shed.

Souta sighed and picked up the bucket filled with cleaning materials and followed, dragging his feet along the ground. He heard his grandfather take in a wheezing deep breath.

"Aaaah. What a lovely day for an antique sale!"

Souta mumbled under his breath. Why did he have to help clean out the shed? He always had to carry out double the amount of chores just because his older sister was out fighting monsters with Inuyasha. It wasn't fair…

"If I collect enough money from today's sale, I should hopefully be able to purchase the Scrolls of Ryuunosuke, the Dragon Warrior!" Grandpa Higurashi said, rubbing his hands together in earnest. Souta made a confused face.

"Why do you want another scroll? None of the ones we have work."

Grandpa Higurashi stopped and whirled around. "What!" he cried, "The Scrolls of Ryuunosuke are famous! It is said that they are sure to protect any home from evil!" the old man waved his arms about. Souta kept on walking until he had passed him, and continued on to the shed. Grandpa Higurashi stared at him in disbelief.

"It's only a story, grandpa." The boy said as he trudged onwards. The old man felt like pulling out his hair. Why did no one believe him?

"It's not only a storyyyyy!"

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Kagome was lying in bed, faking as best as she could the symptoms of the flu, the sickness her grandfather had chosen for that week. Her friends had surrounded her bed, offering words of comfort and optimism. They had told her that Hojo had been rather unhappy during lessons because he was apparently dying to ask her out to the movies…only she hadn't appeared for class. Kagome couldn't help feeling relief over the pity she normally held for Hojo.

Her friends chatted almost non-stop, but Kagome was having a difficult time concentrating on what they said, her mind being occupied with other matters. _As soon as they leave_, she planned, _I'll sneak out to the shed and grab the pendant so that I can hide it in my room. _Eri asked her opinion on something, catching her off guard. Kagome merely shrugged and the three girls continued with their chatter. Kagome frowned. _Getting them to leave will be the hardest part._

Thankfully, her mother came in saying that Kagome needed rest and that they were welcome to visit anytime. The three friends expressed their hopes of Kagome getting well soon and after saying goodbye, they were seen to the door by Mrs Higurashi. Kagome almost fainted with relief and ripped the covers off her body. Her little act must have been convincing, since her friends didn't suspect anything out of the ordinary. Plus, the heavy duvet and the warm rays of late morning sunlight flooding her room had brought her temperature up enough to make it seem like she indeed suffered a fever. She wiped the sweat from her brow and stepped out of her bed, checking her bedside clock which read eleven o'clock in the morning. Still dressed in her grimy school uniform she descended the stairs and was just on her way out through the back door when her mother called to her.

"Kagome! Come into the kitchen, I prepared some breakfast for you!"

Kagome bit her lip and stared outside at the backyard, more specifically, the shed. She could just ask her mother to keep it there for her on the table while she dashed to the shed to retrieve what she needed. But her thoughts wavered as the smell of something deliciously familiar wafted around her.

"It's your favourite!"

_Ah, to hell with it…I'm hungry, _decided Kagome and she closed the back door and made her way into the kitchen.

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Souta passed the rag over yet another jar of 'demon parts'. He set it down on the dusty floor. "Grandpa, are we almost done?" he asked, wiping away a trickle of sweat that threatened to fall into his eye.

"No, no…a few more things left to clean before we set up the stand." The old man replied, admiring one of the many demon's claws he had stored in his shed. Souta hopped onto the stool and heaved down a large vase from one of the higher shelves that was half his size and probably most his weight.

"Ah! Be careful Souta!"

"I'm okay grandpa."

"No, I meant the vase! That's very valuable!" cried grandpa Higurashi, rushing forward and taking it from his grandson's hands. "We mustn't damage anything, or the ghosts of these antiques will stay to haunt us."

Souta raised his eyebrows but kept his mouth shut, getting back up on the stool. He saw another monstrous vase but dismissed it, not wanting another scene. He then noticed a small wooden box, peeking out from behind the large antique, looking forgotten. Souta reached out and touched it with his fingers. Tiptoeing, he stretched his arm further and closed his hand around the little box and brought it at eye level.

"Souta! I need you to keep dusting!"

Souta jumped and almost dropped what he was holding. He readjusted his grip on the box and hopped off the stool. "Ne, Grandpa…What's this for?" he asked, holding up the box for his grandfather to see. The old man squinted at it in the poor light of the shed. He took it from his grandson and turned it around in his hands. With a bent finger he slowly lifted the lid, and blinked as a glimmer of light escaped the box. Very carefully, he pulled out a chain with his thumb and forefinger, and a large amber stone was lifted out, sliding down and after a few slight swings, resting at the point where gravity drew it towards the ground.

"Woooow…" breathed Souta. "What's that?"

His grandfather didn't respond immediately. He held the pendant closer to his face and stared at it. His mouth broke into an excited, boyish smile.

"Why, Souta! This is the Amber Jewel of Vitality!"

"Amber Jewel of Vitality?"

"Yes!" exclaimed grandpa Higurashi elatedly, "It is said that it can cure any sickness and restore the user's wellbeing forever! I had no idea I had this in my possession!"

His excitement was evident and contagious, soon Souta found himself grinning from ear to ear. "Wow grandpa, so does that mean we're keeping it?"

The old man stared at him incredulously. "Keep it!? Are you mad? I could make a lot of money with this Pendant alone! I'm going to sell it!"

Souta blinked at him.

"What are you waiting for? Go and set up the stand! We have antiques to sell!" cried the old man. His grandson jumped and immediately set to work outside, propping up signs and preparing the long table on which the valuable antiques would be placed. Grandfather Higurashi beamed and gazed at the pendant hanging from his hand. He flicked open the lid of the small wooden box and carefully put the chain inside, chuckling with glee at how lucky he had been to find something like this in a corner of his shed.

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After her late breakfast, Kagome was all set to march off to the shed, and she would have…if her mother hadn't prepared a wonderful hot bath for her and persuaded her to take it. Kagome couldn't argue with a soothing bath for her aching muscles, especially when her mother had added those fragrant lavender crystals to the water.

She would fetch her stuff from the shed later. She was in no hurry.

As soon as she submerged herself up to her neck in the warm bubbles, a wave of pleasure washed over her and she sighed contently, resting her head against the bath pillow. She lifted her leg out of the warm water and lightly scrubbed along it using her strawberry shaped sponge, unable to suppress another sigh at the wonderful feeling of being clean. She had repeated the process with the other parts of her body until she felt that all of the dirt and grime had completely disappeared and then laid back to enjoy the water, closing her eyes and breathing in the sweet scent of the bubbles.

Kagome hadn't the faintest idea how long she'd slept, but she knew it must have been more than an hour because the water surrounding her was less than lukewarm and the bubbles had dissipated. She stepped out of the tub clumsily, reaching for her towel and wrapping it around her body.

She went to her bedroom and got dressed, glancing out the window to find that the sun was already tinted with reds and oranges and was slowly slipping below the horizon. She hurried out, ignoring the cool droplets of water that slipped from the strands of her hair down her neck and back. She was vaguely aware of her mother speaking to her as she moved across the kitchen, but she had her eyes set on the shed which became visible as soon as she opened the back door. She also noticed her grandfather and brother sitting behind what must have been a stand for their annual antique sale. She smiled fondly at the memories of previous years, before Inuyasha, when she would participate in those sales that were traditional in her family.

With brisk strides she reached the stand, just as the last ray of sun illuminated the city. She greeted her grandfather with a warm hug, and her brother with a light kiss on the cheek. She gazed at the near empty table, with only a large vase and a few jars of demon parts decorating the top. Her grandfather was in a very good mood, seeing how he had sold most of his treasures. Souta was currently counting their profits.

"Oh, Kagome, I will finally be able to purchase that scroll I've been dreaming about all these months!" Grandpa Higurashi said, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

"I can't believe you've made all that money!" Kagome exclaimed, spotting the large pile of notes on the table, the ones that had already been counted by Souta. The boy looked up and grinned.

"Yeah, it was that Amber Jewel thingy that did it. Some man came and saw it and wanted to buy it right away." Souta paused and his expression became thoughtful, "I think he said it was for his daughter or niece or something," he shrugged, "I can't remember. But he paid a lot for it."

Kagome smiled. "Really?"

Grandpa Higurashi nodded. "Yes, can you believe I actually had the Amber Jewel of Vitality in my humble little shed? Sitting there on a shelf in it's little box…who knows how many years would have passed without being noticed, if Souta hadn't found it while cleaning the antiques!"

Kagome's smile faltered…._Shed? Little box? Jewel of Vitality?_ She felt something cold and hard grip at her stomach. _They can't be talking about…?_

"Uh…Where did you say you found it?" Asked Kagome, trying to make her voice sound as calm as possible. She couldn't shake off the feeling of growing dread at what might be coming. They must have been talking about another amber jewel…not the one Sesshoumaru was imprisoned in.

"In the shed." Replied her grandfather, getting up from his chair and picking up the antiques that hadn't been sold that day. Kagome turned to Souta who was re-counting the money.

"Where exactly?" she asked her brother, her heart beginning to pound. Souta placed the pile of money on the table and sat back, thinking hard.

"I think it was next to some weird vases."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. _It can't be…_

"A-a-and, what did the jewel look like?" she asked, her anxiousness beginning to surface.

"Oh, it was a dark yellow stone on a loooong silver chain, I think. Yeah, I remember when the man we sold it to took it out of the box and looked at it." Replied Souta, getting up from his seat. "Why do you ask, anyways?"

Kagome's eyes were wide with horror, and she felt her heart stop. _No…this can't be happening…_She felt woozy and nauseous, and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth which was hanging open in shock.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Asked her grandfather.

"You weren't supposed to sell that stone…" She whispered, her voice half muffled by her hand. She could feel the whole world swirl around and around, making her dizzy.

"Sis?" said Souta, sounding worried.

"He-he was in there…" she choked out and her body swayed forward and collapsed onto the ground, and Kagome was engulfed by a smooth, silent darkness.

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The first thing Kagome saw when she opened her eyes was her mother's worried face. Souta and her grandfather were close by, wearing similar expressions. Kagome made an incoherent sound and tried to sit up but her mother was there first, gently pushing her back down upon the pillows.

"No dear, you must rest."

Then, Mrs Higurashi proceeded to tell her daughter that she had practically ordered their doctor to perform a house call to check on her, and after a thorough examination he had concluded that the reason for her collapse had been dehydration, stress and lack of sleep and he prescribed nothing but a good night's sleep and plenty of liquids.

Kagome felt a pang of irritation above all the mix of strong emotions currently swirling around inside her. Of _course_ she was stressed, who wouldn't be once they discovered that they had lost a full demon Warlord in one of the most populated cities in the world? Kagome felt nothing but anger at herself, at her supposedly simple plan which she had managed to fail extravagantly in executing. And she could only torture herself thinking about how she could have safely retrieved the damned pendant if she hadn't been distracted by so many things…how could she let herself be tempted by the frivolities of her daily life, instead of taking responsibility of something so important?

Kagome closed her eyes in order to stop the tears that burned, threatening to escape. What would Inuyasha think of her when he found out? She knew there was scarcely a relationship between the two brothers but what would the hanyou say when she told him she had lost his brother in an antique sale? How could she have been so stupid?

She felt her mother's lips on her forehead, wishing her a goodnight (and from that Kagome deduced that she had indeed been unconscious for hours), and left the room, ushering out Souta and grandpa Higurashi on the way. As soon as the light was switched off, Kagome turned to one side and stared off into the darkness, thinking of a way to remedy the situation. She realized that she had to fix it somehow, and she couldn't let that pendant be forgotten or destroyed. Such a thing could change the course of history and she was definitely not taking any chances. She felt again that twinge of annoyance at her own simple-mindedness, and she knew she would have to let her body recover before doing anything about Sesshoumaru and perhaps that angered her more. She half wished she could heal like a demon would so that she could spend less time recovering and more time finding a way to solve this problem. But first she had to swallow her guilt and arm herself with courage to confess to Inuyasha what she had let happen. And with that, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

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A/N: Again, sorry for taking so long but I hope this chapter has managed to quench your thirst for reading (for a little while anyway). Remember people…this is a SessXOC story and not a SessXKag (something I feel strongly against).

Remember to read and review, that way I'll know if this story is worth the effort!


	6. Reika Yamazaki

A lack of inspiration and abundant school work has prevented me from updating. Oh, and laziness. I'm sorry. But I'm pulling myself together now and my fic Themepark Thrill will be updated soon.

Thanks to: **Azhriaz**, **Viperthe strange**, **Murdoca**, and **xxobSESSedxx** I hope I don't lose you guys because of my tardiness because you have all motivated me to continue with this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: Nope. I've read the fine print, Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Chapter 5: Reika Yamazaki**

Kagome hopped out of the well, lugging her oversized backpack along with her. She felt her heart pound nervously in her chest and she breathed deeply, but it didn't help. She had gone over what she was going to tell Inuyasha again and again in her head but none of the sentences seem to adequately explain the past turn of events.

_Inuyasha…I lost your brother in Tokyo…_

Kagome grimaced and shook her head. He would flip. She spotted the village where her friends were staying and her pace unconsciously slowed, her feet dragging a little.

_What should I do? How will I break the news! Gah! I **knew **I shouldn't have left the pendant in that shed! _Kagome berated herself. Kaede's hut came into view and Kagome sighed heavily, adjusting the strap of her backpack. She could already hear Inuyasha's impatient voice and the jingle of Miroku's staff. Sango stepped out of the hut and immediately noticed Kagome.

"Hey guys! Kagome's back!"

Inuyasha and Miroku appeared and the monk greeted the young miko whilst the hanyou merely snorted upon her arrival. Kagome felt even worse now that she had seen what a foul mood Inuyasha was in. She was going to have a hard time telling him what she had done…

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"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN 'YOU LOST HIM'?!?"

Kagome winced, closing her eyes. Yes, exactly the reaction she had expected. "I'm sorry, I know he was you're only brother-"

"I don't fucking care about that!" Inuyasha yelled, "What's gonna happen if he breaks free in your town!? And plus, Naraku is on the loose so we need all the help we can freakin' get!!"

Miroku's head shot up. "So you admit that Sesshoumaru's skill is needed to defeat Naraku?

The comment threw off Inuyasha for a moment. He felt all eyes on him. "What? No! I mean-"

Kagome smiled. "Come on Inuyasha, we all know that Sesshoumaru is powerful enough to help us stop Naraku."

"Keh! Whatever! But that means you just lost one of our…allies!" Inuyasha spat out the last word as if it tasted nasty. Kagome's face fell as she acknowledged it. Sango put a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Inuyasha, cut her some slack, she only took Sesshoumaru to her time because you refused to take responsibility for him. It's just as much your fault as it is hers. Maybe if you had taken the pendant in the first place, none of this would have happened."

Kagome silently thanked Sango for speaking reason. But it wasn't enough to get rid of the feeling of guilt coiling up inside her. Inuyasha snorted, but even he couldn't deny the truth in Sango's words.

"Yeah, well…" he started, "Kagome's gonna have to be the one to fix this. She's the only one here who knows her way around her town."

"…and you can help her." Replied Sango. Inuyasha shot her a glare. Kagome sighed, realizing that another little adventure was ahead of them.

"I guess I should probably go home and start searching." Kagome said, feeling tired even though it was still early in the morning. Sango and Miroku nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry Kagome-sama…" Miroku told her, "We'll be waiting right here when you get back."

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"Okay everyone! It's time for presents!"

"Really, dad…none of this is necessary…" Said the birthday girl sheepishly. Her father, a man with a hearty laugh and a few streaks of grey in his jet black hair, waved a hand dismissively at her.

"Nonsense! It's not everyday my only daughter turns twenty-one!" He said, grinning from ear to ear. The other members of the family present nodded in agreement and proceeded to hand over their gifts.

"Reika! Open mine first!" cried a boy of eleven, who was the son of a close friend of her father's. The young woman, Reika, received the cylindrical shaped gift and unwrapped it, revealing a not-so-expensive perfume. It was obviously purchased with the boy's pocket money. She leaned across the table which was littered with presents, and kissed the boy on the cheek.

"Thank you!" She said, smiling. Her father passed her his gift, a small box that had been wrapped carefully. Reika took it delicately and started picking at the tape her father had used to hold the wrapping paper together. He had used quite a lot of it.

Her father, Souji Yamazaki, gazed at his now grown up daughter. How she resembled her mother, the same long black hair, the same doe-brown eyes, the same mouth and the same perfect nose. His wife had been so beautiful and even death hadn't taken that away from her, he thought as he recalled the last time he had seen her as she lay in that satin lined coffin. He was glad his daughter had inherited her mother's features, that way every time he saw her face, he would be reminded of how much he loved the both of them. Reika had so much of her mother in her but it seemed the only thing she had inherited from him was his condition…

He had diabetes. He had discovered it when he was seven months into his marriage, and three months into his wife's pregnancy. He was worried about the risks of having a child because it would mean he or she could suffer from the same illness. But his wife was so comforting, so reassuring, so loving. She didn't care about any of it, she only cared about him. _'In sickness and in health, honey…right?'_ she had told him. _'And till death do us part.' _He had replied. Only death had come too soon for his wife. There had been complications during the birth of their daughter, and Souji's wife had died shortly after the child came into the world. Souji felt like his heart had shattered into a million pieces as he held his child and gazed into the face of his lifeless love.

But he needed to pull himself together. He bid farewell to his wife forever and took it upon himself to raise his daughter, Reika. When she was five he suffered a collapse and was immediately taken to hospital and instructed to take insulin shots, because he had very nearly fallen into a diabetic coma. That incident reminded him that he also needed to take care of himself, not only of his daughter.

When she was thirteen his whole world came crashing down once again. One day when he was at work he received a call from the school nurse asking him to collect Reika immediately. She had collapsed during soccer practice. He didn't need a doctor to tell him what was wrong with her because it was all too clear. But it wasn't what he had initially though it was, it wasn't diabetes. The doctor had diagnosed her with Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar level and it had been triggered by long hours of not eating (mostly due to soccer practice). Fasting hypoglycaemia, he had called it. Reika was told to carry around snacks, preferably sweet ones and to consume them every two or three hours. Souji didn't know whether he felt relieved or despaired but the very next day he packed his food cupboard with sweets for his daughter.

Now, Reika was twenty-one and living in her own apartment and going to college. She was studying psychology and wanted to work with children and this desire was most likely brought on by her own experiences as a child. She was a young woman, and it was harder to keep an eye on her, plus his own health wasn't exactly making it easy. He had gone to the doctor on numerous occasions because of a kidney problem, and he was worried about what would happen to Reika once he started the Dialysis, which was bound to happen even if the doctor hadn't confirmed it yet. But Reika still didn't know anything about it, to her, Souji was just taking insulin shots and that was it. He didn't want to see the pain on his daughter's face, not now and not ever. He wanted to see her happy and settled down, he wanted to live to see his grandchildren but a feeling in the corner of his soul told him he didn't have that much time.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

Souji snapped out of it and smiled. "Sure honey, now open your present!"

Reika smiled back and ripped the last piece of wrapping paper from the box. She removed the lid and peered inside.

"Hey! I wanna see!" Cried one of Reika's little cousins.

Reika pulled out a beautiful pendant, an amber stone on a silver chain. She stared at it in wonder, and gazed up at her father.

"Wow, its…it's lovely…"

Souji chuckled. "Yep! Found it at an antique sale back at the Higurashi shrine, and paid a great deal for it. You know what it is?"

"No, dad. What?"

"It's called the Amber Jewel of Vitality. The old priest who sold it to me said that it would restore the health of its owner!"

Reika felt tears in her eyes. _Oh, dad…_

He had started becoming obsessed with antiques ever since he had heard the story of the legendary Shikon no Tama. Objects that could grant wishes to their holders were a fascinating subject for himand he began a search for anything that could help her get better. The pendant had to be one of the most beautiful though, compared to the demon claws and other terrifying items she had received on previous birthdays. Still, she loved her father and appreciated his insane wish to cure her completely of her condition.

She went around the table and gave him a loving hug, trying her best to blink away the tears. He returned the hug warmly.

"I love you dad."

"I love you too sweetheart. Now let's open those other presents, I need to hear the sound of paper being ripped!"

Reika laughed and returned to the birthday table.

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Reika flopped down on her bed at about one in the morning, thinking about the mess in her living room. Wrapping paper, leftovers of cake, streamers…

Just then, a white cat hopped onto the bed and walked over Reika's legs.

"Oh, hi Kuri. I hope the noise we made didn't bother you."

The female cat gave her a haughty look. Reika giggled. "I'm sorry, next time I'll make sure to get you some earplugs or something."

Kuri the cat meowed and gracefully leapt off the bed. Reika followed her with her gaze until the animal had left the room. Kuri was a strange creature, and Reika could only blame herself, since she had raised her since she was a kitten.

She turned her head and stared at the pile of presents sitting on her desk, and she spotted the small box which contained the amber pendant. She got up and moved to her desk, picking up the box and removing its lid. The light from her bedroom sparkled off the surface of the amber stone. She sighed and placed the cover back on, wishing that the feeling of guilt swimming around inside her would go away. She also wished that her father would just accept the fact that she could never be completely healthy, and that crazy old priests selling phoney antiques weren't the answer to her problems. She loved her father very much, but sometimes his odd ways made her want to cry out in frustration.

_I mean…the 'Amber Jewel of Vitality'?? There's no such thing. I'm fine the way I am, dad, and no jewel or pendant will ever give me the happiness you've provided for me all these years._

It was just that…she didn't want her father to continue getting duped by anymore of these frauds selling their merchandise. But he would never accept it.

Reika sighed again and began organizing her gifts, putting the new clothes in the drawers and perfume, jewellery and bits and bobs on her dresser. All that was left was her pendant which she placed on one of the top shelves of her closet. She wasn't exactly going to wear the thing. She hopped off the chair she'd used to reach the shelf and dusted her hands, then she undressed and got ready for bed. She had a long day of cleaning ahead of her.

"It's a good thing tomorrow's only Saturday…" she mumbled to herself, yawning.

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Reika woke up early that morning despite going to bed late the previous night, and trudged to the front of the apartment to assess the area. It was a mess. She sighed and went to the kitchen, grabbed a large, black garbage bag and immediately began stuffing in it all that littered her floor: wrapping paper, streamers, a lone birthday candle, envelopes, an earring…

Once that was done, she cleared her table of rubbish, and using a damp cloth she wiped it down, removing all of the crumbs left from her cake. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and bent down to tie a knot in the black bag and jumped almost a mile when the phone rang. She ran around searching for it, cursing it for being cordless. She overturned books, magazines and cushions until she found it, in its charger.

"Hello?"

"Hi Reika, it's Rin!"

"Oh, hi Rin! How'd it go yesterday?"

"Meh, okay. He wasn't really my type though."

Reika smiled. "So…what's with the wake up call?"

"Oh my god, did I wake you? I'm so sorry!"

"No, I'm just joking." Laughed Reika, hearing her friend sigh with relief on the other side.

"Well, I obviously called to wish you a happy birthday! Don't think I'd forgotten! And don't worry, I'll give you your present on Monday."

"Oh, it's okay, you don't have to give me anything."

"Save it, Rei-chan, I didn't spend my money for nothing." Scolded Rin playfully. Reika grinned.

"So Rei-chan, when are you going to visit the children's hospital? Later this week? Because remember we have to do that research first." Rin asked, and the conversation turned a little more serious.

"Agh! Damn, I'd forgotten about that visit! Let's do the research on….Wednesday. Is Wednesday good?"

"Mmmm…I think so. Okay then! So on Wednesday we'll do the research and how about on Saturday we visit?"

Reika grimaced. Her Saturdays were sacred. "How about the week after?"

"Okay."

"So that's settled?"

"Yep. Wednesday research, next, next week, visit."

"Great." Said Reika.

"See ya on Monday then! "

"Okay." Reika smiled. "Bye!"

"Happy birthday!" said Rin and she hung up.

Reika put down the cordless phone and stared at it. She didn't know what she would do without her friend Rin, the girl who was pals with everyone. The only problem Rin had was that she was almost too innocent, too childish but that's probably what Reika loved most about her.

Kuri appeared and rubbed herself affectionately on Reika's legs.

"Good morning, Ms Kuri." Said Reika bending down and scooping the white feline up. "How about some breakfast, hmmm?"

The cat meowed in reply.

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After breakfast, Reika continued with her chores, only to be interrupted by the doorbell. She put down the vacuum cleaner and wiped her hands on her shorts and then went to open the door.

"Hi Reika, sorry for not making it yesterday."

Reika gazed into the face of her cousin, the son of one of her mother's sisters. He had come bearing gifts and was wearing a smile that reached his hazel eyes. Reika squealed and threw her arms around him in a back breaking hug.

"Hiro! When did you get back to Tokyo?"

"Last night, my dear cousin. But don't think I'd forgotten about your twenty first birthday."

Reika pulled back and smiled, her eyes twinkling when he passed her his gift. Hiro chuckled at the way she impatiently tore off the paper. Reika gasped.

"Wow! A portable DVD player? I've wanting one for aaaages! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed and hugged him once more. Hiro laughed and returned the embrace.

"Come in! Do you want something to drink?"

"Oh, no thanks, I just came for a while and I need to head back to the office. My boss is expecting my report in about an hour."

Reika's face fell. "Oh."

Hiro smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't worry though, I'll visit you again some other time."

Reika nodded and watched him leave. After closing the door she gazed down at her new DVD player, barely surpressing a giggle. That's why she loved Hiro, he was the giver of excellent presents and he had never failed to show up with one on any of her birthdays.

She spotted Kuri staring at her, almost disdainfully.

"What?"

The feline pranced off.

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It was late in the afternoon when Reika finished her chores and she went to her room to flop down onto her bed, exhausted. She had brought her DVD player along with her and she decided to try it out, attempting to remember where she'd kept all of her original DVDs.

_Ah, right…the closet._

She got up and dragged her chair over to the closed, hopping onto it. She searched along the lower shelves but couldn't see them so reaching up she felt around with her hand since the chair wasn't high enough for her to be able to see the top shelves. She touched a smooth, flat object and pulled it out a little, smiling as she saw it was one of her favourite movies. She slipped it out completely and was hit on the head with a falling object.

"Crap! Oooow…" she complained, rubbing her forehead and getting off the chair. She tutted when she saw that what had attacked her was the box containing the amber pendant. The cover had been dislodged from the fall and the chain was on the floor, separated from the box. Reika sighed and bent down to pick it up, and placed it carefully on the desk, along with the DVD. She went to fetch the DVD player and also put it on her desk, and she dragged her chair and sat on it. She was just about to push away the pendant to make space for the DVD player when she though she saw something.

"Hmmm?"

She leaned closer. She could have sworn she saw something flash inside the amber stone. She shrugged.

"Bah, probably the light."

She took out the disc from its case and put it in the player. But out of the corner of her eye she spotted another strange movement from inside the stone. She huffed and brought her face nearer to it.

"What is it?" she asked herself, irritably. There was nothing there. This time, she rested her chin on her hands and stared at it, unblinkingly. She felt a little silly to be doing it but she needed to know if she was indeed going crazy. It was then that Kuri entered the room. Reika sat back.

"Hey, Kuri. Come here." She said, patting her lap. The cat ignored the offer and opted for jumping on the desk instead. The feline noticed the pendant and sniffed at it delicately. Reika stroked Kuri's back fondly. Suddenly the cat hissed loudly and leapt of the desk, staring with angry eyes. Reika was surprised at this unusual behaviour.

"Kuri? What's wrong?"

And like an old rich lady, Kuri turned up her nose and exited the room. Reika shook her head and went back to staring at the pendant.

There. A flash of white. Reika was just bringing her face closer when the amber stone abruptly cracked, sending tiny bits of sparkling debris flying. Reika jumped in her seat, her heart pounding. _What the hell was…?_

But she didn't have time to complete that thought because an explosion of brilliant white light sent her flying backwards and enveloped the entire room. Thankfully, Reika landed on her bed but she immediately scrambled behind it, shielding her eyes from the blinding radiance that surrounded her. What was going on?

It lasted for only a few minutes and little by little the brightness began to dim, until the room was in its normal state. Reika lowered her hand from her eyes and just sat there panting, wondering if this was another symptom to her illness, or if it was a dream. Maybe she had collapsed and was entering a coma or maybe she was simply hallucinating. She placed a shaking hand over her wildly beating heart and with her other hand she grasped at the bedcovers, slowly pulling herself up. The bed was blocking her view from the rest of the room and she wanted to see if everything was intact. What she didn't expect to see when she eventually stood up was an extremely tall man with long silver hair and the most unusual clothes that Reika had ever seen. And what she didn't expect to see was him staring around the room looking only the slightest bit confused.

There was a _man_…in her _room_…in **_her room_**...

Her breath caught in her throat from fright and the man's head snapped towards her direction. She reacted, screaming as loud as she could as he took one step forward. She silently thanked whatever entity there was that her bed separated him from her. But her screams continued and the silver haired man lifted his hands to his ears apparently affected by that high pitched sound. He hissed inhumanely and Reika's eyes widened in terror as she spotted two very sharp looking fangs protruding from under his curling upper lip. And that was when she officially freaked out.

"OH MY GOD, ITS A VAMPIRE!!!" she shrieked and darted over her bed and out the door, hurriedly locking it in the process. She bolted to the kitchen and grabbed the largest knife she could find, harnessing the wild idea that if she could just drive it through his heart, everything would be over. She searched wildly for her phone and dialled an emergency number, and she huddled in a corner of her living room, clutching the knife desperately.

"Hello? Emergency services, how may I help you?"

Reika jumped at the sound of the voice.

"Ah, yes, um this is Reika and I, uh…"

But what was she going to say? 'I have a vampire/monster in my room? Who would believe her? She felt stupid for reacting the way she did, but what was to expect? She seriously doubted anyone could act reasonably once faced with a being over six feet tall with fangs.

"Hello?"

Reika pulled herself together. "Um, sorry…wrong number." And she hung up. Taking a deep breath she got to her feet. She checked her watch and realised the she should have eaten something sweet half an hour ago, all that commotion had made her forget her own health. She rummaged through her pockets and found a mint, which she unwrapped and popped into her mouth.

Kuri meowed from another part of the room, but Reika ignored her, she had more important things to think about right now. She stared down the corridor leading to her bedroom. She couldn't hear anything. What if she _had_ been hallucinating? Her sugar levels had been low for the past half hour, it was possible. She slowly walked towards her room, refusing to let go of the knife. Standing before her door, she felt a jolt of nervousness. And what if he was really inside? She doubted the knife would do much for her. Still, she placed her hand on the knob and unlocking the door, she opened it…slowly, carefully.

Expecting to be viciously attacked, she was proved wrong when she saw him standing calmly, facing her bedroom window, hands hanging loosely by his side. She took one tiny step closer, not letting her guard down. He turned his head slightly, startling her.

"Where am I." he said, and she was surprised by his smooth, deep baritone.

"Um…who are you?" Raika asked shakily. His head moved back to its previous position, facing the window.

"Where am I." he repeated a little stronger than before and Reika realised he wasn't exactly _asking_.

"Y-you're in Tokyo…"

She was bowled over by all of this. He appeared in her room and he had no clue as to where he was? And were those fangs real or had she imagined them? Why was he dressed like that? _Who was he?_

She took another tentative step forward. His presence was powerful, demanding and the air of her room felt heavy, as if there was an invisible pressure weighing down on her. Suddenly he turned to face her and she gasped, stupidly dropping her knife, but she didn't notice the loud clattering sound it made. All she saw were intense yet icy amber eyes.

"How did I get here." The man demanded to know. But his words fell on deaf ears because Reika simply stood there, her gaze transfixed on those burning amber eyes.

_Amber eyes…_

_Amber…_

And her eyes travelled across the room to her desk and spotted the long silver chain and the remnants of an amber stone.

_**Amber…**_

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A/N: Phew! That was long, but I needed to put Sesshoumaru in there. Now here is when everything starts to get interesting. Hope you read and review!


	7. A Broken Pendant and a Demon Lord

Hi everyone! I finally decided to update, sorry for the time it took to do it. Thank you so much: **Maki-san24**, **Arvael**, **xxobSESSedxx**, **Azhriaz**for helping me stay focused!

**Disclaimer:** Bah, I won't bother with these anymore.

**Chapter 7: A Broken Pendant and a Demon Lord**

Was this all real? Was it happening? Was it possible? Reika stared at the broken amber just lying scattered on her desk. For a split second she forgot about the six foot pillar of…whatever he was…and tried to organize her thoughts and speculations with nervous panic.

"_**Human!**_"

His sharp, frozen tones cut her out of her hysteria induced daze and made her realized she hadn't answered his previous question as to why he was currently standing in her bedroom. She looked up, terrified, meeting his glare, his eyes cold and accusing, as if he held her responsible for this incidence.

He was dressed so strangely, like a figure from a distant past, and the markings on his face made him oddly more menacing. Tattoos? Why had he appeared here? What was that huge fluffy thing wrapped around his right shoulder? Why the armour? And why the hell had he just called her a human? Well, obviously she was one but why did he have to refer to her by her species? Wasn't he one too? Oh wait, the fangs…

"_Answer me_." He demanded, his voice low and dangerous. She reacted to his obviously controlled hostility.

"I don't know, okay?! I don't frikkin' know why the hell you're here and this whole thing is scaring the crap outta me! How in the hell did you get in my room!?" she cried, hysteria taking over her mouth and mind. Her breathing was quick and she had a funny feeling he could kill her if he wanted to.

He took a slow step forward and Reika completely panicked, grabbing the nearest thing to defend herself with if she had to, forgetting the knife she had dropped onto the floor. She was now pointing a Mickey Mouse pencil at him. She couldn't believe the joke the gods were playing on her. But still, she stood her ground, gripping the pencil with two shaky hands.

He stared at the pencil coldly, then back up at her face.

The next thing she knew she was being brusquely lifted off her feet and held tightly by the throat. She dropped the pencil and fought the strong hand that was choking her, but it was useless as she barely had enough strength to breath. With watery eyes she implored that he let her go, unable to pronounce a single word since her airway had been roughly closed by his death grip. His eyes, cold and unconcerned, stared into hers. He would have looked bored if it hadn't been for the angry curling of his upper lip.

"You think you can threaten me? I could kill you right now…" he hissed, his eyes narrowing and his hand tightening around her neck. She grabbed his wrist, trying in vain to get him to release his hold.

Satisfied he had taught her a lesson, he abruptly let go, causing her to fall painfully onto her backside. She bent forward, gasping and coughing so violently that she failed to notice him swiftly pass her and leave her bedroom.

Reika clasped her throat, shoulders heaving as she gulped in precious oxygen, millions of frantic thoughts bubbling inside her head. She had almost died! She looked around her bedroom, seeing no one there and hearing, with horror, the psychopath's footsteps down the corridor. She shakily stood up and grabbing the kitchen knife she carefully stepped out of her room.

She saw him make his way to her living room, looking around indifferently, illuminated by the last rays of the sun, setting behind the mountains. He surveyed the whole apartment imperiously coming to a full stop in the centre of her living room, his back to her. It was then that she noticed two swords tied to his hip.

Swords! Two of them! And here she was clutching one stupid little kitchen knife! She was definitely scared now. It was getting darker by the minute and she did _not_ want to be stuck in an apartment, a _closed_ space, with this monster!

The shrill ringing of the phone made her jump almost a mile and, she noticed, caused her guest's head to snap towards the direction of the sound. She raced to the cordless phone as he, with a look of ominous intent on his face, attempted to reach it before she did. She practically leapt over the sofa and grabbed it, as it rang and rang on the table. But he was still approaching.

"No! Stop! Don't come any closer!" She shrieked, waving the knife around wildly.

"Reika? Are you okay? What was that?" came Rin's worried voice on the other line. _Damnit, _thought Reika, assuming she must have accidentally pressed a button and answered. What was she supposed to tell Rin? That a homicidal maniac had popped into her bedroom and was now standing completely still before her, eyes dangerously narrowed?

"Mmm, no it was…just the-the cat…just Kuri, hehehe…" She said trying to hide the shake in her voice.

"Oh, okay." Said Rin, not sounding entirely convinced. "Anyway, I just called to tell you that there's a movie on with Johnny Depp in it. You've probably seen it before though, knowing you," she said playfully, "But it's the 'Secret Window', and I knew you'd probably want to see it again."

"Okay…thanks Rin." Reika replied, trying to sound grateful. How could she even think of Johnny Depp at a time like this!?"

"Alright. Bye bye!"

Reika hung up and put the phone down. The face of the man in front of her was obscured by the growing darkness but she could feel his antipathy…it was practically radiating from him.

She backed away from him cautiously, as though he were a panther that could pounce any minute and seeing that he stayed put, she rushed to switch on the lights. He didn't hiss or shield his eyes like she'd expected him to. She needed to stop thinking he was a vampire, and anyway, vampires were affected by _sunlight_ not electric light.

For a few moments they both stood in complete silence. Reika still gripped the knife tightly in her hand, feeling unnerved at the icy amber stare that was currently penetrating her entire being. It couldn't be a mere coincidence that his eyes were the exact same colour as the old pendant that was presently lying broken on her desk. But she refused to even think of the possibility that there was something extraordinary or abnormal about the whole situation. She didn't believe in magic, and she had argued with her father enough times to prove it.

She watched him apprehensively. She noticed the sky through the large windows at his back, dark and sprinkled with diminutive stars. The lights of the city flickered playfully in the distance and the black mountains gave an ominous sense of entrapment, as they surrounded the city. The curtains need to be drawn; Reika didn't want anyone else to see what was going on in her home.

Gathering up a little courage, she spoke.

"Do you…know how you got here?" her voice was slightly shaky, and she cursed herself for it. His face was unreadable and he didn't answer her right away.

"No."

"You must have some idea, though?" she insisted, taking his response as a sign of cooperation. She still, however, held on to the knife.

"I said no." He replied coldly, his eyes hard.

She felt somewhat peeved at his short answers. It wasn't as if it was _her_ fault he had suddenly appeared in her bedroom, and in any case, _she _ had the complete right to feel upset and pissed off at the whole situation. Sure, he was entitled to complain because he looked like he had been scooped out from…wherever he had been before, and dumped into her apartment, but still…she deserved more feedback than what he was currently providing. She also had the right to kick him out of her home, but she knew she stood no chance against over six feet of male…especially when he carried two swords and menacingly sharp armour.

She decided to continue her questioning. "Who are you?"

He didn't reply.

"Did you break in?"

His eyes blazed. "I am not some common filth, human." He snapped, and she caught sight of a glimmering fang. Her heart beat faster. He definitely didn't look human…what if the amber pendant had something to do with all of this?

"If you didn't break in, then, then…was it the amber stone?" She asked, daring to believe she would still stay alive after that wild question.

He stiffened.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly. _Amber Stone._ Images flashed past his eyes, swift and bright, painfully bright, his head began to pound…pound and ache as he remembered it all, everything; Naraku, the poisonous insects, the powder, the control slowly slipping from him, and he'd fought it, he'd fought it so hard, his claws, _slash!_ Aun, _slash!_ Jaken, blood on his hands…and Rin. Rin's blood, dripping from his fingers, the smell of it, so overwhelming, her lifeless body in the grass gazing at nothing with those glassy eyes. His failure to defeat Naraku, the speed he had attacked the barrier with, but Naraku had escaped…

Sesshoumaru groaned, raising his hands to his temple, closing his eyes to stop the attack of memories on his mind but it refused to stop, torrents of pictures right in front of him, reminding him of what he'd done.

Dried blood on his hands, flowers on Rin's grave, anger, an unbelievable anger at himself, guilt, sorrow, but he had fought it, kept it in…and, a priestess with an amber on a silver chain, chanting, pulling him in, draining him, sealing him and then…

Nothing. Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered open. The memories had stopped. He was on his knees. He lowered his hands from his temple, which was still pounding. The human female was standing in front of him, staring at him in fear and shock with the knife on the floor beside her, where she had dropped it, from fright no doubt. She had edged closer to him, her scent of human wafting nearer.

"Are…are you alright?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer her. He got to his feet slowly and once again towered over her. He noticed her breathing quicken.

"What just happened?" she asked. As if he needed to explain himself to a human.

Reika stared at him anxiously. What in the hell had that been? One moment he was standing tall, glaring at her with the utmost disdain and the next he was clutching the sides of his head and making the most frightening sounds she had ever heard before collapsing onto his knees. And now he was on his feet, glowering at her as if nothing had happened. During the whole ordeal, Reika had dropped the knife and instinctively rushed forward to help, before a more logical part of her brain had issued her a quick warning, which she was glad about. Who knows what he could have done to her had she intervened. It was just that…in that short moment he had seemed almost…vulnerable. She was doubting herself now, as his indifferent, icy glare made her want to pick up the kitchen knife again.

But she didn't. Instead she boldly took a step forward. "My name's Reika."

He slowly raised an eyebrow.

She watched him with certain defiance. But it was a little unsettling not to know what he was thinking.

"Hmph."

Reika felt her courage falter a bit. "Um…what's your name?"

She was met with a stony silence. He turned his back to her and stared out the window. His next question surprised her.

"What year is it?"

She blinked rapidly. What year was it? Didn't he know? Did he suffer from memory loss? Was that why he couldn't' remember how he got here?

"It's 2007…Why?"

He said nothing.

2007…almost six hundred years had past. Sesshoumaru was forced to recognise the potency of that priestess' power, if it had managed to keep him locked in a wretched amber pendant for six hundred years. He had known the stone wouldn't hold his powerful youki forever but what was he supposed to do now? He had stumbled into another time, another age and from the sights and smells of it, this era was very different from the one he was used to. The clothing was different, for one thing, and it seemed like humans had grown more daring and insolent in the presence of demons. It wasn't as if he didn't _look_ like a demon, this human female had no excuse whatsoever to disrespect him.

Her voice reached his pointed ears.

"Can you tell me your name?"

He could tell she was terrified of him, which soothed his pride somewhat.

"Sesshoumaru." He said, turning to face her. She looked a little bewildered.

"Sesshoumaru? What a…strange name. Sounds like something out of a history book…" She said, more to herself than to him, but his demon hearing picked it up perfectly. Sesshoumaru took a few steps forward, noticing her eyes flicker momentarily at the knife on the ground. He stared at her, willing her to back away, forcing her to submit to his presence. And when she merely tensed up, he realized that these present times were very unlike the feudal era in which he had reigned. If this mere human had the nerve to stand up to him in a way that he was completely unaccustomed to, then what other surprises did her time have in store for him?

"Are you going to kill me now?" Her quiet voice held a slight tremor, and he saw her swallow. He actually considered it, but what was the use of wasting another human life? He ignored the painful twinge in his heart when Rin's image floated before his eyes. No, it would not do to slay a human, especially in her own home. Sesshoumaru was no fool, he knew how useful she would be to him, especially now when he was stranded in a different era with no knowledge of how new and changed everything was.

He gave her a disdainful look. "No, I will not kill you. Contrary to what you may now believe of me, I do possess certain honour."

Reika blinked rapidly. Honour? But why did he say it as if he knew she thought him to be some kind of horrible beast? He was watching her with such contempt…and the language he spoke, she recognised it as Japanese, her native language, but it sounded so old and out of place that it was hard for her to understand some words. It was as if he'd been plucked right out of history…but of course, that was impossible. Yet they way he looked and the way he stood, he seemed so regal and commanding…and when he spoke of honour, she felt a tiny bit of her fear dissipate, believing, feeling that she could, at some extent, trust him. But that didn't mean she wasn't completely unafraid of him.

She opened her mouth to speak but a sudden and high-pitched beeping from her wristwatch surprised her, and apparently the man in front of her too.

It was seven thirty and she needed her dose of glucose, and she would've forgotten completely if it hadn't been for her alarm. She searched her shorts for a sweet, trying to ignore this 'Sesshoumaru's intense gaze, but she had eaten the last one earlier that afternoon and would need to search in her kitchen cupboards.

Sesshoumaru admitted that he had genuinely been caught off guard with that wretched noise, but as the female lowered her gaze and felt through those strange garments of hers, Sesshoumaru was able to study her properly. Long slender legs scarcely covered with a type of hakama that merely reached her thighs, curved hips that dipped into a dainty waist, and breasts that any man would approve of, that were covered by a peculiar one piece haori, Dark hair hung loose upon her shoulders, veiling a delicate neck and a face that Sesshoumaru assumed would seem beautiful to human males; large doe brown eyes, a petit nose and a full, rosy red mouth which now opened to speak.

"Um, I need to go get something." She said, and she took a nervous step back before spinning around and heading to another part of the apartment, a room with shiny, slippery surfaces and strange metallic objects.

Sesshoumaru remained where he stood, watching her. She opened a small door high up on the wall and took something out, something small. She unwrapped it and revealed a solid brown substance, breaking off a square and shoving it into her mouth. Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose in disgust as the smell of it reached him, sickly sweet and overly rich.

She went back to him, chewing quietly. Sesshoumaru was sickened by her behaviour. In his times, anyone who ate in front of Lord Sesshoumaru was punished.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked meekly, after swallowing, half offering what was in her hand. Sesshoumaru gave her a blank look and turned his head away.

"I don't eat human food."

_There he goes with the 'human' again._ Reika thought. She was compelled to ask him what he usually ate but she was foolishly expecting his answer to be 'blood'.

"Why not?" She found herself asking instead.

He glared at her. "Do I look human to you?" he said, with a spot of indignity.

"Well…" she started but she froze as she noticed something about him that she hadn't before. His pupils weren't round like a normal person's, instead they were thin and long…almost like slits, like an animal's. And his hands possessed nails that were too elongated and sharp looking to be natural.

He seemed to realize what was now going through her head. He spoke.

"I am trapped here, ningen." His voice was low and smooth, "And I count on your compliance during my time in this new age."

Reika's eyes widened.

What was going on?

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Inuyasha was chomping down Mrs Higurashi's cooking noisily, while Kagome merely nibbled the grains of rice. How could he eat like that knowing Sesshoumaru was lost somewhere in the great city of Tokyo? Kagome frowned; they needed to get themselves organized. First she would look for the people who had approached the shrine during the antique sale, and work her way from there. And she would need Inuyasha's nose to do the rest, even though it might not be of much help since it was tougher to decipher specific smells amidst the mingled ones of pollution, millions of people and other things.

They would start early tomorrow morning. They would find him.

OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooo

A/N: I found it hard to keep Sesshoumaru in character but I think I did an okay job. It's rather difficult writing something to differentiate this story from the dozens of others that have similar plots but believe me, I'm trying! Please let me know what you think!


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